Former Prime Minister Vlad Filat, who was sentenced to nine years in jail, was freed from prison on December 3.

Spokesman for the National Administration of Penitentiaries Oleg Pantea has told IPN there is a court ruling by which Vladimir Filat was set free.

Vlad Filat was contacted on the phone number used while serving as Premier, but he didn’t answer the phone.

Vlad Filat’s lawyer Victor Munteanu told IPN that if Vlad Filat is willing to communicate something, he will do this in person or through the agency of his lawyers.

Vlad Filat was arrested in October 2015. On June 27, 2016, he was sentenced to nine years behind bars for passive corruption and influence peddling and was held at Penitentiary No. 13 in Chisinau.

The former Premier is also investigated for money laundering. The case is pending at the Chisinau City Court. In both of the cases, Vlad Filat pleaded not guilty, saying they were both started by political order.