Greece has suspended the extradition to the Republic of Moldova of the oligarch and former politician Vladimir Plahotniuc, sought by Chisinau in a massive banking fraud case from 2014, as he is also being investigated by Romania for document forgery and explanations are being requested regarding this case.
A Greek court has ruled in favor of Plahotniuc’s extradition based on accusations related to a fraud case known in the Republic of Moldova as the „theft of the century.” The oligarch was to be extradited next week, a few days before the general elections in Moldova, scheduled for September 28.
"The extradition of Vladimir Plahotniuc to the Republic of Moldova has been suspended, without specifying the reason," announced the Moldovan Prosecutor General's Office on Wednesday, adding that they were notified of the decision by Interpol.
A Greek legal source told Reuters, on condition of anonymity, that the Greek Ministry of Justice suspended the extradition because Plahotniuc is also being investigated in Romania for document forgery and now needs to provide explanations to a Greek prosecutor handling this case.
Plahotniuc was arrested on July 21 at the airport in Athens, after boarding a plane bound for Dubai. The Greek police acted based on an Interpol notification issued in February, which stated that he held 16 passports, including from Romania, Mexico, and Russia. When arrested at the airport in Greece, Plahotniuc allegedly used a false identity.
He is the main suspect in a case related to the disappearance in 2014 of one billion dollars from the Moldovan banking system - equivalent at that time to 12% of the country's GDP. The accusations include participation in a criminal organization, money laundering, bribery, and fraud. At 59 years old, the former politician and businessman denies any wrongdoing.
Russia has also requested his extradition for drug-related offenses.
"We, the citizens of this country, must ensure that all those guilty are brought to justice and that this process is not halted," wrote Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean on Facebook, adding that his government will investigate the decision made by Athens. "The institutions must bring him home in handcuffs," he added.
In a statement on social media, Plahotniuc described all the accusations against him as being based on "slander and political hatred."
Before fleeing Moldova, Plahotniuc was the leader of the Democratic Party between 2016 and 2019, part of the governing coalition at that time.