The trial of Evghenia Guțul, the leader of the Gagauz autonomy, and accountant Svetlana Popan, sentenced to prison, will be restarted from scratch in the appeals court, after a two-month break.

The President of the Central Court of Appeal has formed a new panel of judges, which will include judges Eugeniu Beșelea and Vitalie Budeci, as well as Andrei Cazacicov, replacing Olga Cojocaru. The first meeting in the new format is scheduled for January 14. So far, it is unclear whether the process will start from scratch, this aspect will be discussed. The lawyers' appeals were filed in October, after the two were sentenced to 7 years and 6 years in prison for complicity in the illegal financing of the former "Șor" party. Both women claim they are innocent.