On Thursday morning, authorities transported Vladimir Plahotniuc upon extradition of the desired oligarch from Greece. The once veteran senior Moldovan politician and oligarch has since fallen seriously afoul of a million-buck indictment over a billion-dollar fraud pipeline. Plahotniuc was flown from Athens to Chisinau, where he was promptly taken to a detention center in the capital city.
Plahotniuc is accused of serious offenses related to the still-unexplained theft of $1 billion from three Moldovan banks in 2014. This eye-watering figure represented more than 10% of Moldova’s gross domestic product at the time. This massive financial scandal has led to Plahotniuc being named as one of the primary suspects.
Plahotniuc, 59, escaped Moldova in 2019 after his Democratic Party was removed from power. His legal woes have been further complicated by a number of protracted criminal cases against him in his home country of Moldova. As soon as he touched down in Chisinau, though, Plahotniuc was led off the aircraft by Moldovan police and Interpol agents. This heavy presence underscored the high-profile nature of his extradition.
Lucian Rogac, Plahotniuc’s lawyer, has criticized the Moldovan government led by President Maia Sandu, alleging that they have turned his client’s extradition into “a tasteless political spectacle.” Plahotniuc has repeatedly denied the claims, promising always to return to vindicate himself.
“If you don’t give up when it’s hard and keep fighting – the whole society keeps fighting – even criminals who seemed invincible come to justice.” – President Maia Sandu
Plahotniuc’s arrest on July 22 at Athens’ international airport came at the request of Moldova. Indeed, Moldovan authorities have genuinely been making efforts to clean their judicial house. They are committed to addressing the rampant corruption that has plagued their country.
President Sandu has been vocal about the importance of justice in Moldova. She reiterated with passionate resolve that big money will not destroy this country. She stated, “The Kremlin believes we are all for sale. That we are too small to resist… Moldova is our home. Our home is not for sale.”
The extradition of Vladimir Plahotniuc would be a major step forward in Moldova’s long search for accountability for stolen millions. The Moldovan government remains resolute in its expressed desire to combat corruption.