Anti-corruption prosecutors contested to the Court of Appeal the decision of the investigating judge (Ciocana office) by which the preventive measure was changed regarding two defendants in the case of the Agency for Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance (APCSP). According to the conclusion, the defendants were released from Detention Center and placed under house arrest for 30 days. The prosecutors' request is due to be examined by the court next week. 

At the same time, on Monday, the judges are going to take the decision on the extension of the arrest warrant regarding another person in this case. He is currently under arrest and prosecutors will call for an extension of the pre-trial detention. The fourth person, accused in the same case, has concluded a recognition agreement, cooperates with the investigation and is being investigated at large. 

We remind, on December 3, the NAC and the anti-corruption prosecutors detained 4 officials from the Agency for Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance, in a case initiated on passive corruption. They allegedly devised a corruption scheme, through which they allegedly systematically demanded and received money from economic agents in order not to restrict their commercial activity. 

In the criminal investigation, it was found that APCSP employees carried out regular checks on traders in the markets of the capital and in the country, and in order not to indicate in the documents of finding the alleged irregularities established in the entrepreneurial activity, they allegedly received and received economic agents money in the form of protection fees. 

If found guilty, officials risk up to 10 years in prison, a criminal fine of up to 400,000 lei and deprivation of the right to hold public office from 7 to 10 years, if found guilty. 

The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office is conducting the criminal investigation. 

We remind, every person is presumed to be innocent until a final and irrevocable decision of the court is given.