Vladimir Plahotniuc attached wings to loans
The former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova was accused of laundering $ 21 million stolen from the Banca de Economii through the purchase of a plane
Vlad Plahotniuc has been charged with a new criminal case on bank fraud, including the creation and management of a criminal organization. In addition, the former politician is accused of large-scale fraud and money laundering by a criminal organization on a large scale, IPN reports.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office reports that it has brought to the attention of lawyers an indictment against the former leader of the Democratic Party.
The new episode incriminated to Vladimir Plahotniuc refers to the period November 24, 2014 – June 29, 2015. Then Plahotniuc, being the actual beneficiary and manager through intermediaries of a number of non-resident companies, received funds in the amount of 21 million dollars to his accounts through resident companies created by Ilan Shor, through intermediaries. The money came from bank loans obtained fraudulently from the CB “Banca de Economii”.
During the investigation, the prosecutors stated that Vlad Plahotniuc purchased an aircraft from this money, which he used in his personal interests and subsequently transferred to third parties.
Within the framework of the same criminal case, Vlad Plahotniuc was previously charged with the creation and management of a criminal organization, fraud committed on an especially large scale, and money laundering committed by a criminal organization on an especially large scale.
The preventive measure in the form of a preliminary arrest applied to Plahotniuc in this case remains in force.
IA “Interfax-Ukraine”, 08/19/2021, “The fugitive Moldovan oligarch Plahotniuc is hiding in Turkey – Prosecutor General of Moldova”: Moldovan Prosecutor General Alexander Stoianoglo said that the fugitive oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc is hiding in Turkey.
“We have different information about this. According to the secret information that the Prosecutor General’s Office has, Mr. Plahotniuc is currently in Turkey,” Stoianoglo said at a press conference on Thursday. […]
“We demanded the extradition of Mr. Plahotniuc from several countries. We received interim answers, this work is ongoing. We also continue to investigate Plahotniuc. The investigation is being conducted not only in Moldova, but also abroad. This applies to his companies and property. We seized more than three billion lei (about EUR150 million). There are also certain successes, which we will not talk about yet, ”said the Prosecutor General.
As reported, Plahotniuc fled Moldova after the change of power on June 14, 2019 and was in Miami. On January 13, 2020, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced that Plahotniuc and members of his family were included in the US sanctions list due to “significant corrupt practices.” In August 2020, he left the United States and arrived in Turkey via Romania, whose citizenship he also holds. — Inset K.ru
Sputnik.md, 15.11.2021, “Multi-million dollar assets of Plahotniuc remain under arrest: decision of the Constitutional Court”: Vladimir Plahotniuc’s assets worth about half a billion lei remain under arrest. The decision was made by the Constitutional Court.
52 items worth 486 million lei are still under the control of the Agency for the Compensation of Criminally Obtained Property (ARBI). They were taken from the oligarch and former Democratic Party leader, Vladimir Plahotniuc. The National Anti-Corruption Center (NAC) reported this on Monday.
ARBI seized 52 items in a case called “Bank Fraud”. The prosecutor's office claims all these belongings are Plahotniuc's.
The list contains 11 cars, 11 homes, other buildings, shares in 5 companies, and 4 bank accounts. Out of these, 41 are in Moldova, and the other 11 are in Switzerland (7), France (1) and Romania (3).
ARBI explained that the process of reclaiming the criminal assets will finish after the court decides on confiscation. The court and the State Revenue Service handle the final step of returning or selling the confiscated items.
tv8.md, 04.10.2021, “Pandora Papers investigation: Plahotniuc used an offshore trust in New Zealand to transfer millions of euros to his family”: Plahotniuc, the wanted ex-leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova, used a New Zealand trust to send money to his family in Switzerland from 2011. There was around $180 million in the account and regular transfers happened from there. The investigation was published by major global media.
According to the Pandora Papers investigation, Plahotniuc set up the Otiv Trust in 2011 with the Asiaciti office in New Zealand in Auckland, and for years his ex-wife Oksana Kildescu requested tens of millions of dollars to be sent to Switzerland.
The creation of the OTIV trust cost Plahotniuc €15,000, and the yearly management fee from the start was €60,000. The trust's trustee will offer Plahotniuc guidance on money distribution and other important transactions, and if he dies, the assets will go to family members.
The original of this material
© omg.md, 09.01.2022, Photo: newsmd.md, Video: via omg.md
Fugitive deputy Shor walks freely with a bodyguard in Israel
Elon Shore
Deputy Ilan Shor, wanted internationally by Moldovan authorities for financial crimes, was seen in a shopping center in Netanya.
A video showing Shor at the Ir-Yamim shopping center in Netanya with a bodyguard was shared by the JurnalTV channel.
Based on the video, it seems that a Moldovan citizen living in Israel filmed Shor.
In Moldova, Ilan Shor is the primary defendant in the theft of $1 billion from the foreign exchange reserve. He was given a 7 and a half year sentence for this.
Shor left the country after Plahotniuc's regime changed.
He is currently on the international wanted list, but the Moldovan authorities, despite knowing his location in Israel, are not taking action to extradite him to Moldova.
In December, Shor, who is still an MP, was stripped of his immunity.
Point.md, 01/10/2022, “Prosecutor’s office about the video with Shor: We are waiting for the decision of the Israeli authorities on extradition”: Prosecutors knew that Ilan Shor, a fugitive from justice, was in Israel even before the videos with him appeared in open access.
The information was confirmed by prosecutor Mariana Kerpek, who is responsible for press relations at the General Prosecutor’s Office (GPO), who said that the prosecutors are currently awaiting a decision from the Israeli authorities regarding the extradition of the deputy, reports replicamedia.md
“The prosecutor’s office had information about the whereabouts of Ilan Shor before the video footage appeared in the public space. It should be noted that at the moment the State of Israel is considering a request for the extradition of citizen Shor to the Republic of Moldova. There is a legal procedure for the extradition of persons, which must be carried out in accordance with all international treaties. The prosecutor’s office has already taken all the necessary steps to extradite this person, and now we are waiting for the decision of the Israeli authorities on this matter,” the representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office said. — Inset K.ru
