Former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova, Vladimir Plahotniuc, has been extradited from Greece to Chisinau. He will be placed under arrest in a solitary cell on charges of stealing a billion dollars.
Moldovan oligarch, former leader of the Democratic Party Vladimir Plahotniuc was extradited from Greece to his homeland. This is reported by UNN with reference to NewsMaker.md.
Details
The fugitive oligarch was delivered to Chisinau by airliner from Athens under escort. Prior to that, the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, announced that immediately upon arrival, Plahotniuc was to be placed under arrest in a solitary cell in one of the capital's prisons.
At the same time, a video of the plane with Plahotniuc arriving at Chisinau airport appeared online.
Reference
Former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova Vlad Plahotniuc was detained in Greece in July this year. He was wanted on three criminal charges, including the theft of a billion dollars from banks.
Plahotniuc left Moldova in June 2019. For a long time, the politician lived in the United States, but in January 2020, his stay there was deemed undesirable. According to unconfirmed information, he had recently been hiding in Northern Cyprus.
In July 2023, the Moldovan prosecutor's office submitted a case to court in which he is accused of complicity in the theft of a billion dollars from Moldovan banks in 2014. According to the prosecutor's office, Plahotniuc received $39 million and €3.5 million through companies controlled by another Moldovan politician and oligarch – Ilan Shor.
In February 2025, Interpol declared Plahotniuc internationally wanted. According to Interpol, Plahotniuc, in addition to Moldovan, has Romanian, Russian, and Mexican passports. At the same time, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Plahotniuc's Mexican passport is fake.
Recall
The Athens Court of Appeal allowed the extradition of Vlad Plahotniuc to Moldova. Prior to that, UNN reported that Plahotniuc, who was detained in Greece, refused extradition to Moldova.
