Four of the defendants in the case of the murder of Alexei Veretko, alias Krasavchik, which occurred in Orhei town in 2012, including Democratic MP Constantin Tutu, were acquitted.  However, the Orhei court convicted the fifth defendant Ion Corcodel of deliberate murder and sentenced him to eight years behind bars, IPN reports.

Lawyer for the injured party Roman Zadoinov said after the hearing that he does not agree with the sentence. “God protect us from such justice,” he stated, noting he will request the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Security and Intelligence Service to verify the accuracy of the court’s actions.

Alexei Veretko was shot dead in an exchange of fires after an altercation with two men, one of whom was the assistant of the commissioner of Orhei district. It was reported that Alexei Veretko was a violent criminal and that a number of athletes who formed part of an illegal group were involved in his murder.