Veaceslav Platon loses bail bid in UK amid money laundering case
Moldovan businessman Veaceslav Platon, wanted for an alleged conspiracy to launder $22 billion, loses his bid for bail in the UK, Reuters reports.
According to the source, Platon appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, requesting bail while awaiting a full hearing on his extradition request. His lawyer, Peter Caldwell, described him as "essentially a dissident" and stated that Platon had applied for asylum in the UK due to his treatment in detention in Moldova after his last arrest there in 2016.
The controversial businessman was arrested in the UK on March 13, following a request from prosecutors in Chișinău in the fall of 2024. Moldovan authorities have announced they are working with British authorities to facilitate the necessary procedures for Platon's extradition to Moldova.
Platon is under investigation in the criminal case widely known as the "Laundromat." He is accused of organizing and leading a criminal organization, as well as orchestrating the deliberate issuance of unlawful decisions, sentences, or rulings by a judge.
Additionally, Platon is accused of organizing abuse of office for the benefit of a criminal group or organization, and orchestrating the fabrication, possession, and use of false official documents by two or more individuals.
Another charge against the controversial businessman and politician is organizing money laundering by a criminal organization on a particularly large scale.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office announced that in September 2024, it sent all necessary documents for Platon's extradition to Moldova's General Prosecutor's Office. The businessman maintains his innocence.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
