The first court hearing in the file of Vladimir Plahotniuc's bank fraud. Oligarch did not show up in court
The first court hearing in the file of Vladimir Plahotniuc's bank fraud took place at the Chisinau Court, but in the absence of the defendant, who invoked the need for time to study the materials of the case.
Vladimir Plahotniuc refuses to appear in court. Photo: ipn.md
In court, Vladimir Plahotniuc was represented by lawyer Ion Vîzdoagă, who was previously the defender of former prime minister Vlad Filat, convicted for passive corruption and influence trafficking during the government of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM), led by Plahotniuc.
Requested by “Adevărul”, Ion Vîzdoagă refused to comment on the absence of his client in the court.
The prosecutor who instrument the file, Vitalie Codreanu, spoke about the reasons.
“We do not know, the court has read the request. In its essence, I deduce that God meets the materials of the case. In what way I do not know ”he said.
Asked if he will request the forced bringing of the defendant Vladimir Plahotniuc, prosecutor Vitalie Codreanu replied: “No, because, as long as there is a confirmation from the lawyer and the National Penitentiary Administration regarding the place where it is, the forced bringing is not necessary. The court could, hypothetically, have this measure.”
Finally, the magistrates of the Chisinau Court, the headquarters of Buiucani, granted the defendant Vladimir Plahotniuc and his defenders an additional term to examine the materials of the criminal case. The deadline expires on October 17, and the next meeting was scheduled for October 20.
The meeting on Wednesday took place after, on September 29, the court decided to separate the case in which Vlad Plahotniuc is concerned by the file of the other seven defendants, accused of involvement in the “theft of the billion” in the Moldovan banking system.
In the file of bank fraud, Vladimir Plahotniuc is accused of “The creation and management of the criminal organization, theft of the financial sources and the washing of the money that results from this crime”, according to the officials of the General Prosecutor's Office (PG) in the Republic of Moldova. Thus, the fugitive is tried because he would have benefited from over $ 39,000,000 and more than 3,518,000 euros in the Moldovan banking system.
Hard years of prison
If the guilt will be demonstrated, the fugitive oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc risks a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Plahotniuc is behind bars, being held in the Penitentiary no.13 in the center of the neighboring country.
At the same time, he is charged with “Abuse of service in the interest of a criminal organization and money laundering, within a criminal case initiated by the General Prosecutor's Office in October 2021, related to” fraudulent procurement of passports. “.
It is also investigated in a criminal case on “by the Anti -corruption Prosecutor's Office in 2022, in which he is accused of passive corruption, this case being subsequently connected to the criminal file known as” Kuliok “. In this investigation, Vladimir Plahotniuc would have offered up to a million dollars to Igor Dodon when he was in charge of the Republic of Moldova. In exchange for the bribe, Prous Igor Dodon would have committed to take several actions, including the lack of criminal liability of Vladimir Plahotniuc on the territory of the Russian Federation, accusations that Dodon denies.
At the same time Vladimir Plahotniuc is with “Statute of the accused and in the criminal case” Metalferos “, withdrawn from the PCCOCS, during which the creation and management of a criminal organization, scam and money laundering are imputed.”
Extradited after 2019 escape
On September 25, the fugitive oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc was extradited from Greece to the Republic of Moldova, being brought in handcuffs, six years after its escape from the country.
