Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo requested the competent authorities of the U.S. to extradite the former leader of the Democratic Party Vladimir Plahotniuc so that he could be held accountable in Moldova, IPN reports.

The extradition request was based on the United Nations Convention against Transitional Organized Crime adopted in New York on November 15, 2000, which was ratified by Moldova on October 16, 2005, and based on the principle of reciprocity.

Concomitantly, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office recently issued the U.S. authorities with letters rogatory, asking to take a number of criminal investigative measures, including in relation to property owned by Vladimir Plahotniuc on the territory of the United States.

During the next few days, the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases, which is handling another criminal case against Vladimir Plahotniuc, will also issue letters rogatory to the U.S.

On May 22, the Chisinau City Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Plahotniuc for a 30-day period, following his charging with the founding and managing of a criminal organization, considerable swindle and money laundering for which he faces up to 15 years in jail.

His lawyer Lucian Rodac said “the accusations against Vladimir Plahotniuc are made in a pre-electoral period when those who are now in power plunged society into a deep crisis and face situations when they need to distract the people’s attention from the real problems and from the state in which the Republic of Moldova is now.”