The accusations made against Veaceslav Platon have nothing to do with the ‘theft of the billion’, the businessman’s lawyer Ana Ursachi said in a news conference, quoted by IPN.
Ana Ursachi stated that Platon is investigated within a case concerning the sale of shares in Victoriabank to foreign investors. “They investigate an alleged transaction of US$80 million, of which the prosecutor’s ‘found’ only US$49 million, accusing Platon of fraud based on the absolutely incoherent statements of Ilan Shor,” she said.
According to the lawyer, she submitted an application to the Prosecutor’s Office by which she requests the prosecutor who is dealing with this case to question Veaceslav Platon in connection with the fact that Vlad Plahotniuc is the beneficiary of all the money obtained as a result of the transactions indicated in Platon’s indictment. “Platon directly indicate him as a beneficiary and can prove this if a prosecutor questions him,” stated Ana Ursachi.
Another lawyer of the businessman, Ilia Novikov, said the procedure for extraditing Veaceslav Platon from Ukraine was illegal. According to him, the lawyers reached such a conclusion after analyzing the hurry in which the extradition was performed and ascertained that the Ukrainian authorities neglected the ordinary procedures. Ilia Novicov noted that Veaceslav Platon was put on the wanted list based only on the self-denouncing statements of the ex-president of the Administration Board of Banca de Economii Ilan Shor.
According to the lawyer, the senior authorities of Ukraine and particular bodies of Moldova reached an agreement as to the arrest and extradition of the businessman. The Ukrainian authorities issued no decision to show that the Ukrainian passport possessed by Platon is false.
The businessman’s defense said that in the September 7 hearing Veaceslav Platon told the jury that he was responsible for the legal aspect of the deal to sell assets to foreign investors. According to Platon, the assets were sold by Vlad Plahotniuc with the involvement of high-ranking officials. The defense said the documents contain the signature of Andrian Candu, who already held the post of Speaker of Parliament at that moment. The businessman also mentioned ex-governor of the National Bank of Moldova Dorin Dragutanu, mayor of Orhei Ilan Shor and former Premiers Iurie Leanca and Chiril Gaburici, who, as he said, were involved in the ‘theft of the billion’.
