A commission of inquiry was set up to elucidate the circumstances that led to money laundering through courts of law and financial-banking institutions of Moldova. The commission will be led by PPPDA MP Inga Grigoriu, who is the author of the initiative, IPN reports.

The author of the bill said the problems of the financial and judicial sectors led to the implementation of an international scheme to launder money of a doubtful origin that went through the Republic of Moldova and was legalized through courts of law. The bases of the money laundering scheme were laid in 2010, with fictitious companies being founded and thousands of accounts being opened in Moldova during 2011-2014 with the aim of legalizing huge sums of money coming from the Russian Federation. It is presumed that criminal organizations, real estate and banking businesses of Russia transferred over US$ 20 billion in ill-gotten gains through the money laundering complex consisting of tens of offshore companies, banks and proxy agents.

The commission will question the parties and persons involved and will present a report in Parliament in 120 days. The commission includes Socialist MPs Bogdan Țîrdea and Alexandr Suhodolski, the latter being its deputy chairman. It also consists of Democratic MP Ludmila Guzun, Denis Ulanov of the Shor Party, Vladimir Cebotari of the Pro Moldova group and PAS MP Dumitru Alaiba, who is the commission’s secretary.