Moldova’s parliament speaker is urging investigators to expand their probe into a massive banking scandal after a court handed down a 19-year prison sentence to one of the country’s wealthiest businessmen.
Vladimir Plahotniuc was convicted this week in connection with what authorities are calling the “theft of the century” – a scheme that drained $1 billion from Moldovan banks more than ten years ago. The stolen amount represented 12% of Moldova’s entire economic output at that time, with the funds disappearing through questionable loans, asset exchanges, and shareholder agreements.
Prosecutors alleged Plahotniuc personally pocketed $39 million and 3.5 million euros ($4.1 million) from three different banks. The prosecution had originally requested a 25-year prison term.
Igor Grosu, who holds the second-highest position in Moldova’s government structure, emphasized on Saturday that additional investigation remains essential to uncover the complete truth about this widespread fraud. He stressed that Plahotniuc couldn’t have orchestrated such an elaborate scheme without assistance.
“The scale of the investigation shows that Plahotniuc could not have acted alone. He could not have organised, on his own, all the actions, operations and transactions,” Grosu stated.
“This is all quite sophisticated, all the more so as one of the accusations against him was organising a criminal group. I don’t know what other action is being taken by prosecutors, but I believe it is logical to look into episodes involving other persons, including those who insisted he was innocent,” he continued.
Plahotniuc maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. His attorney, Lucian Rogac, criticized the case as a violation of proper legal procedures and claimed the decision was influenced by public pressure and political motivations.
Anti-corruption officials are currently pursuing three additional cases against Plahotniuc, including charges related to criminal organization involvement, bribery allegations, and creating monopolistic conditions in metal exports.
The 60-year-old Plahotniuc led Moldova’s Democratic Party between 2016 and 2019 while it was part of the ruling coalition, and also held the position of deputy parliament speaker. During his tenure in government, he exercised significant control over law enforcement agencies, the judicial system, and the courts.
