The Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files has accepted the request to review the Commission's July 2020 decision regarding the former leader of the Democratic Party Vladimir Plahotniuc, announced the head of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office Veronica Dragalin, quoted by IPN.
Since April 2024, the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office has been investigating a corruption scheme that affected the Interpol Commission's decisions to block Red Notices and international search warrants. Based on the evidence and information accumulated in this case, as well as other new circumstances, in October 2024 a request was made to Interpol to review the decision rejecting the Republic of Moldova's request to put Vladimir Plahotniuc on the international most wanted list.
Veronica Dragalin said that, based on the new circumstances, the Interpol Commission recently accepted the Republic of Moldova’s request. As a result, Vladimir Plahotniuc and his lawyers will have the opportunity to present information and arguments, but the Republic of Moldova will also be able to argue again why this criminal case is correct and in accordance with the Interpol’s Constitution.
In October 2019, the law enforcement agencies in Chisinau requested Interpol to list Plahotniuc as wanted. An arrest warrant was issued for him over the crime of money laundering in connection with his role in the banking scheme applied in the Republic of Moldova in 2013-2015, through which more than US$1 billion was taken out of the banking system and, consequently, from the state budget.
In July 2020, the Interpol Commission informed the Republic of Moldova that, at the request of Vladimir Plahotniuc, the case was examined by the Commission and this decided to reject the Republic of Moldova's request, and all data concerning Plahotniuc was deleted from the Interpol system. Moldova’s additional requests to Interpol regarding Vladimir Plahotniuc, made during 2021-2022, remained unanswered.
