The lawyers for ex-Premier Vlad Filat, who was recently convicted, consider the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office violates again the presumption of innocence and misleads the people. This is how the defense reacted to a press release whereby the Prosecutor’s Office announces its intention to challenge the sentence of the first court for the reason that it is too mild, IPN reports.

“The prosecutors violate again the presumption of innocence in the case of MP Vlad Filat. The sentence passed by the judges of the Buiucani Court is not definitive and irrevocable. Therefore, Vlad Filat should further benefit from the presumption of innocence,” said the lawyers.

The defense also ascertains that the prosecutors mislead the public opinion as the case involving Vlad Filat, tried by the judges of the Buiucani Court, does not refer to the fraud committed at Banca de Economii.

The lawyers said they will appeal the Buiucani Court’s judgment of June 27 and will continue to demand a public trial.

In accordance with the sentence given by the first court, Vlad Filat will serve nine years in jail and will pay a fine of 60,000 lei. This was deprived of the right to hold public posts for a five-year period and of the state award “Order of the Republic of Moldova”. The judges also ordered to confiscate a part of Filat’s property worth 791 million lei. The ex-Premier pleads not guilty.