The money featured in the “Laundromat” case didn’t only transit Moldova’s territory and such a perception was created intentionally. The use of this money in the country had a nationwide impact, said Inga Grigoriu, head of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the “Laudromat” case. The MP presented some of the conclusions reached by the commission in a news conference today, IPN reports.
The MP said they determined concrete data about the use of financial resources coming from the Russian Federation. These generated unjust enrichment and tax evasion on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, purchases of shares in two insurance companies and in financial intuitions in Moldova, purchase of securities, tangible and intangible assets in the EU.
According to the commotion’s report, the money was also used to corrupt MPs, statesmen and judges, to replenish accounts, to finance smuggling and NGOs. Direct ties were also established with other illegal activities in the financial-baking sector, such as money laundering through the Transnistrian segment, bankruptcy of regional enterprises, raider attacks and direct connections with the bank fraud. All the schemes were applied through intermediaries, national courts, companies registered in offshore areas, politicians.
Ukrainian citizens acted as legal representatives of lending companies registered in offshore arrears. Their task was to file lawsuits in the name of lending entities so that the bailiff selected by the creditor was issued with court orders. All the orders were executed through the agency of one commercial bank of the Republic of Moldova. The money was collected by force from the accounts of corresponding banks of Russia. The role of bailiffs was very important in the schemes. Five bailiffs were contracted by 20 companies registered in offshore areas, which had been earlier involved in schemes. According to the Kroll Report, the given legal entities are connected with the groups of companied affiliated to Veaceslav Platon, Vlad Plahotniuc or Ilan Shor.
After the scheme was implemented, during the next few years, the Russian authorities started a criminal case based on two components – transfer and conversion into currency and organization and participation within a criminal group. One involved person was convicted. This is Elena Platon, the sister of Veaceslav Platon.
Veaceslav Platon, Vladimir Plahotniuc and Renato Usatîi were put on the wanted list by the responsible Russian authorities. Two more citizens of the Russian Federation were convicted in this case. According to official information published on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Veaceslav Platon, Vladimir Plahotniuc, Renato Usatîi are accused of laundering considerable amounts of money in Russia in 2010-2014, stated Inga Grigoriu.
The “Laundromat” commission worked for 165 days.
