Fugitive Moldovan Oligarch’s Extradition From Greece Faces Delays
Source: Balkan Insight
Vladimir Plahotniuc at a Democratic Party of Moldova rally in Chisinau, October 2018. Photo: EPA/DUMITRU DORU.
Greece has agreed to extradite the fugitive Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc back to his home country, but his return has yet to be confirmed.
“The extradition decision was signed last week by the Greek Deputy Minister for Justice, Ioannis Bougas,” the Greek Ministry of Justice confirmed to BIRN on Monday.
Plahotniuc was detained in Greece in July, after which Moldova submitted three separate extradition requests. Russia also filed its own request, accusing him of large-scale financial crimes, including fraud and money laundering tied to the Moldovan bank scandal.
“Plahotniuc wants to go to Moldova as soon as possible,” Vasilis Spyrou, one of Plahotniuc’s two Greek lawyers said. However, he accused Moldova of deliberately slowing the process, claiming that the authorities intend to bring him home only two days before the September 28 elections, “as a trophy”.
Moldovan officials have denied playing politics with the extradition. Police chief Viorel Cernauteanu told broadcaster Jurnal TV that preparations for Plahotniuc’s transfer are underway, including identifying flight routes.
However, he could not specify a date. “The process is not so simple. Bringing someone to Moldova must follow strict rules,” Cernauteanu explained, without elaborating.
Plahotniuc, who was once considered Moldova’s most powerful political figure, is wanted on multiple charges, including corruption, money laundering and involvement in the infamous “billion-dollar theft”.
That scandal, uncovered in 2014, saw more than $1 billion siphoned from three Moldovan banks through fraudulent loans and offshore accounts, devastating the country’s economy and badly damaging public trust in state institutions.
Despite mounting legal cases at home and international sanctions – including US sanctions for corruption and undermining democratic processes – Plahotniuc has managed to avoid justice for years.
He fled Moldova in June 2019 after the collapse of the Democratic Party-led government, which he was widely seen as controlling from behind the scenes. Since then, he has reportedly moved between the United States, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, while Moldovan authorities pursued his extradition.
Plahotniuc was once regarded as the de facto ruler of Moldova and was accused of running the country as a personal fiefdom, manipulating courts, controlling major media outlets and exercising pervasive influence over political and business life. He dismissed all the allegations as politically motivated.
His possible extradition comes at a politically charged moment, as Moldova prepares for crucial parliamentary elections at the end of September, in which the current, pro-European government has put the fight against oligarchic influence and judicial reform at the heart of its agenda. The return of Plahotniuc, a symbol of entrenched corruption and state capture, could significantly shape the campaign narrative.
The original article: belongs to Balkan Insight .
