The Athens Court of Appeal has allowed the extradition of the fugitive Moldovan oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc to his homeland – he was detained at the end of July. This was reported by UNN with reference to TV8.
Details
The court hearing took place in the absence of the former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova himself, but his lawyers, including Lucian Rogac, as well as representatives of the Moldovan embassy in Greece, were present at the hearing.
At the same time, the final decision on Plahotniuc's extradition to Moldova will be made by the Ministry of Justice of Greece.
Reference
The former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova, Vlad Plahotniuc, was detained in Greece. He was wanted on three criminal cases, including the theft of a billion dollars from banks.
Plahotniuc left Moldova in June 2019. For a long time, the politician lived in the USA, but in January 2020, his stay there was deemed undesirable. According to unconfirmed information, he had recently been hiding in Northern Cyprus.
In Moldova, arrest warrants have been issued for Plahotniuc within the framework of three criminal cases. In July 2023, the prosecutor's office submitted to the court a case 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 has passports from Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Mexico.
However, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Plahotniuc's Mexican passport is fake.
Recall
The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Moldova stated that the fugitive oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc, who was detained in Greece, refused extradition to Moldova.