Laundromat file: Veaceslav Platon, sentenced to 20 years in prison, in Moscow
The controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon, investigated in several criminal cases in the Republic of Moldova, was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison by a Moscow court. Platon was found guilty of illegally withdrawing funds in foreign currency from the Russian Federation in the amount of more than 126 billion rubles (about 1.25 million euros), being part of a "criminal group", Kommersant newspaper writes.
The court also imposed on Veaceslav Platon a fine of 2.5 million rubles (about 25 thousand euros), the restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year and 6 months and the confiscation of assets in favor of the state. Currently Veaceslav Platon, who is announced as internationally wanted, is said to be in London.
According to the investigators, from June 2013 to May 2014 in Moscow and Chisinau, the "de facto owner" of Moldindconbank Veaceslav Platon, together with the former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova Vladimir Plahotniuc and the banker Alexander Korkin, transferred funds from Russian bank accounts to Accounts Moldindconbank with the provision of false documents.
In 2016, Veaceslav Platon, a former member of the Moldovan parliament, was placed on the international wanted list by the Moldovan authorities. He was accused of receiving unprofitable loans from Banca de Economii and withdrawing more than 20 billion dollars from Russia through Moldovan banks. In July of the same year, he was detained in Kiev and then extradited to Moldova, where he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
In January 2020, the verdict was annulled by the decision of the Chisinau Court of Appeal. Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo declared that this case was fabricated. Also, several criminal cases were opened against the businessman, especially on corruption and fraud.
