The French authorities have seized a property valued at over 83 million lei belonging to the former Moldovan Democratic Party boss Vlad Plahotniuc. The Thonon-les-Bains High Court decided to seize the villa in the town of Sciez, in one of France’s most fashionable areas, on the request of the Moldovan Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime (PCCOCS).

As per the French estimations, the property is worth €4.2 million. The seizure means the villa can be confiscated in the future as a result of the criminal proceedings started against Plahotniuc in Moldova.

Citing the Cypriot authorities, the French investigative judge noted that Plahotniuc allegedly created a criminal network at national and international level in 2009-2019, and with help from Ilan Shor, he allegedly registered Cypriot and Panamanian firms in England and opened bank accounts to deposit money embezzled from Moldovan banks.

Until the resolution of the criminal case, the seized property will be administered by the French Agency for the Recovery and Management of Seized and Confiscated Assets.