The Chisinau Court of Appeals quashed the decision of the Rascani court, whereby the leader of the Anti-Mafia Movement Sergiu Mocanu was obliged to pay damages of almost 2 million lei to First Deputy Speaker Vlad Plahotniuc. Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, Sergiu Mocanu said that on February 9 the Chisinau Court of Appeals decided to decrease the damages to 40,000 lei, including the court taxes and costs for lawyer’s services. He stressed that this decision will be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice. On August 10, 2011, judge Gheorghe Gorun of the Rascani district court accepted Vlad Plahotniuc’s application to levy US$120,000 from Sergiu Mocanu for damaging his honor and dignity. The court also ruled that Mocanu was to pay additionally 50,000 lei moral damages and 70,000 lei court costs to Plahotniuc. Last August, Sergiu Mocanu accused Vlad Plahotniuc of establishing a political-mafiotic regime in Moldova after the parliamentary elections of 2009. He said that the businessman controlled a series of state and private institutions. As a result, Plahotniuc sued Mocanu.