CHISINAU: Moldovan business magnate Vladimir Plahotniuc has declared his intention to return to Moldova to clear his name in a high-profile fraud case. In his first major statement since being detained in Greece, Plahotniuc dismissed the allegations against him as politically motivated.
Plahotniuc, a former lawmaker and one of Moldova’s wealthiest individuals, is a key suspect in the 2014 disappearance of $1 billion from the banking system, an incident dubbed the “theft of the century.” The sum represented 12% of Moldova’s GDP at the time.
Last week, he agreed to extradition and pledged cooperation with judicial authorities. Moldova’s pro-European government, aiming for EU membership by 2030, has long sought his return. “I want to return to prove my innocence,“ Plahotniuc wrote, criticizing what he called flawed legal reforms.
He accused authorities of delaying his extradition to avoid influencing the September 28 parliamentary elections, where President Maia Sandu’s PAS party risks losing its majority. “They fear the truth will come out,“ he claimed.
Adriana Vlas, a PAS spokesperson, dismissed his remarks, stating Moldova’s justice system must operate independently. Plahotniuc, 59, fled Moldova in 2019 and was arrested last month in Athens en route to Dubai. An Interpol red notice cites charges including money laundering and fraud. – Reuters
