The two persons charged with the corruption of MPs were sentenced. Former police officer Vitalie Burlacu got 11 years and four months behind bars, while his accomplice Irina Baglai was put on probation for two years. The decision was passed by the Buiucani Court in the absence of the convicts on July 12, IPN reports.
The court decided that Vitalie Burlacu will be held in a semi-closed prison. He was also fined 160,000 lei. The money seized during the investigation - €553,000, US$403,000 and 48,000 Russian rubles - will be confiscated, while the Porsche Cayenne car is to be returned to the leasing company.
Prosecutor Vitalie Galeru said he is satisfied with the sentence given to Vitalie Burlacu, not yet with that given to Irina Baglai. The justification of the judgment will be presented on August 1.
The defendants’ layers said the decision is illegal and groundless and they intend to appeal it to a higher court.
As a result of an operation performed by officers of the National Anticorruption Center on March 7, 2014, Vitalie Burlacu and Irina Baglai were caught in the act of transmitting US$250,000 to an intermediary. The money was to be passed on to an MP for persuading this to leave the government coalition. Later, anticorruption prosecutors found over half a million euros in a safe deposit box in a commercial bank in Chisinau. The box was rented by Irina Baglai.
Irina Baglai was held in the remand prison of the National Anticorruption Center until December 29, 2014, while Vitalie Burlacu was released from remand detention later. This April he has been put on the wanted list.
