A former customs officer from Balti municipality was sentenced to four years and six months in jail and fined 5,000 lei for traffic of influence. In October 2011, the offender asked and took about 55,000 lei form a man for influencing employees of the Costesti – Stanca customs post to register a car brought from Italy in Moldova without impediments, IPN reports.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the sentence was passed by the Balti Court. The ex-customs officer aged 24 earlier also stood trial. The prosecutors consider the sentence is too mild and intend to appeal it and to ask for seven years in jail for him.

The offender didn’t come to the hearings, arguing he was ill. Afterward, through the agency of his lawyer, he presented medical certificates showing he was ill. One of these certificates turned one to be false and the prosecutors took legal action over falsification of documents.