Moldova accuses Vladimir Plahotniuc of involvement in $1 billion fraud
Moldova’s Prosecutor General said on Monday that one of the
country’s richest people, Vladimir Plahotniuc, had been charged with
involvement in the theft of $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014-2015.
Plahotniuc left Moldova for the United States last year
after his Democratic Party lost power in an election. Representatives for him
were unavailable for comment on Monday although his lawyers last year denied he
was involved in the theft.
Known locally as the “theft of the century”, the scandal saw
the equivalent of an eighth of the impoverished former Soviet republic’s gross
domestic product stolen from three of its largest banks.
The scandal triggered street protests, the International
Monetary Fund and the European Union froze aid, the leu currency plunged to
record lows and inflation climbed into double digits.
The prosecutor’s office said the criminal case against
Plahotniuc was opened on Monday and the charges included creation of an
organised criminal group, extortion and fraud.
Alexander Stoeanoglo told a news briefing the investigation
had irrefutable evidence that Plahotniuc was one of the main beneficiaries of
the theft.
“We found that it was his firms ... that received loans from
Banca de Economii in the amount of more than $100 million,” Stoeanoglo said.
Banca de Economii is one of the three Moldovan banks that
were victims of the crime.
Moldova has already jailed former prime minister Vlad Filat
and businessman Veaceslav Platon in connection with the scandal, in which money
was for year siphoned overseas through dubious loans, asset swaps and
shareholder deals.
It is unclear how the case against Plahotniuc might affect
the political situation in Moldova, where a presidential election is expected in
the autumn, and the third government in a year may resign this month.
According to local media, Plahotniuc’s supporters have about
20% of the seats in parliament.
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