Prosecutors are seeking a 25-year prison sentence for Vladimir Plahotniuc. Prosecutor Alexandru Cernei announced the request during the hearing on Monday, March 23, when closing arguments began.
Cernei said that, after examining the case, authorities consider a severe punishment necessary and argued that only full application of the law, including isolation from society, can correct the defendant’s behavior.
He asked the court to impose a cumulative sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
“The defendant is charged with five counts: creating and leading a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering on a particularly large scale—meaning five distinct offenses. Today, I presented an analysis of the evidence collected during the criminal investigation and examined in court, which demonstrates the defendant’s guilt. We have requested a cumulative sentence for multiple offenses, with a final punishment totaling 25 years of imprisonment,” the prosecutor stated.
The prosecution also requested the recovery of approximately $39 million and €3.518 million in favor of the civil party.
Plahotniuc’s lawyer, Lucian Rogac, rejected the accusations and stated that his client is innocent.
“Regarding the requested sentence, we believe the prosecution based it on the maximum possible term (…) We consider that this punishment is driven more by political motives than by the state prosecution,” Rogac said.
Plahotniuc did not attend the hearing.