Prosecutors’ extradition request for Plahotniuc will be reviewed August 13 by Athens Court
The Athens Court of Appeal is set to review, on August 13, the extradition request for former democratic leader Vladimir Plahotniuc. This request was submitted to the Greek authorities by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Moldova on July 24 of this year.
The General Prosecutor's Office in Chisinau informs us that "This hearing does not represent the last stage of the procedure; the final decision will be made by the Ministry of Justice of the Hellenic Republic."*
The same source indicates that Moldovan prosecutors are maintaining "constant communication" with the relevant authorities in Greece, "repeatedly emphasizing the complexity of the criminal cases in which he (Vladimir Plahotniuc - ed.) is the accused, the essential importance of extradition for the proper conduct of the investigations, and the significant impact of the case on public opinion."
It is important to note that, on August 4, the Ministry of Justice also submitted a separate extradition request for Vladimir Plahotniuc to the Greek authorities, as announced by Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru.
The minister explained that Vladimir Plahotniuc was detained in Greece "based on the warrant issued at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office," but the Ministry of Justice can also request extradition for cases in the judicial phase.
Furthermore, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru stated on August 6 that, "The procedure for examining the extradition request depends on the Greek authorities. The Republic of Moldova has, in principle, had a positive experience in collaborating with the Greek authorities regarding extraditions. Each case is treated individually, and the Greek authorities have the option to request additional documents."
We recall that the former Democratic leader, Vladimir Plahotniuc, was detained on July 22 in Greece, along with former Democratic deputy Constantin Țuțu. Both are being held in one of Greece's largest prisons.
Moldovan prosecutors accuse Plahotniuc of creating and leading a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering, through which he allegedly benefited from financial resources stolen from Banca de Economii, Unibank, and Banca Sociala, totaling approximately 39,284,000 dollars and 3,518,705 euros.
The oligarch, who has been a fugitive for over six years, faces a potential prison sentence ranging from 8 to 15 years.
