Moldovan oligarch, former leader of the Democratic Party Vlad Plahotniuc was sentenced to 19 years in prison in the case of the "theft of a billion". This is reported by Newsmaker, writes UNN.
Details
The Chisinau court in the Buiucani district issued a verdict in the Plahotniuc case on April 22. He was found guilty of complicity in the theft of a billion from three Moldovan banks and sentenced to 19 years in prison.
According to the investigation, Plahotniuc, through companies controlled by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, received $39 million and 3.5 million euros from the stolen funds.
Plahotniuc did not appear for the sentencing.
Reference
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 has recently been hiding in Northern Cyprus.
In July 2023, the Moldovan 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, through companies controlled by another Moldovan politician and oligarch - Ilan Shor - received $39 million and €3.5 million.
In February 2025, Interpol declared Plahotniuc an internationally wanted person. 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
Former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova Vlad Plahotniuc was detained in Greece in July 2025. He was wanted in three criminal cases, including the theft of a billion dollars from banks.
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.