The defense in the case of ex-Premier Vlad Filat asked the court to make a rogatory commission request to the Ministry of Justice of Moldova, which would be relayed to Russia with the request of questioning three witnesses in this case, IPN reports.

After the November 2 hearing, Vlad Filat’s lawyer Igor Popa said his client was sentenced to nine years in jail by the sentence of the Buiucani Court, based on statements made by Ilan Shor. The court decision says that Ilan Shor gave over 320 million lei to Vlad Filat through three women who are Russian citizens. The defense contacted these women, but they said that they had never been in Moldova and had never crossed the state border. Moreover, they never collected money from Unibank and thus transmitted no money to Filat in Moldova.

“These witnesses have a special importance in this case. The sentence is based only on Ilan Shor’s statements. They are not confirmed by these witnesses or other persons. Therefore, we consider that this evidence was fabricated. Shor’s statements are false and thus Vlad Filat was illegally sentenced to nine years in jail. We consider that sooner or later, these witnesses will be questioned, either after the retrial or other appeal ways, and we will then prove that the charges against Vlad Filat were fabricated and this case is politically motivated,” stated the lawyer.

Igor Popa added that the three women said they do not know Vlad Filat and Ilan Shor, but the Chisinau Appeals Court rejected these witnesses and didn’t allow bringing them by rogatory commission request. He presumes the judges hurry the hearings and could pass a judgment in the next hearings already. A new hearing was set for November 9.

Vlad Filat was sentenced to nine years in jail, fined 60,000 lei and deprived of property to the value of 791 million lei. Vlad Filat pleads not guilty.