Cheap jets to U.S.
The week's news at a glance.
Chisinau, Moldova
A Moldovan court this week absolved a former defense minister of bilking Moldova of money by selling jets too cheaply to the United States. Valery Pasat was jailed for 10 years in January for approving the 1998 sale of 21 MiG-29 planes for $40 million. Prosecutors said Iran would have paid more than $90 million for the planes. But the defense argued that the U.S. had put pressure on Moldova not to sell to Iran, and the appeals court ruled that Pasat was not to blame. He will still serve a five-year sentence for another questionable defense contract. Pasat says he is being scapegoated because of his opposition to current President Vladimir Voronin, a communist.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?