Moldova bank fraud: Plahotniuc faces 25-year maximum sentence
Moldovan prosecutors on Monday asked a Chișinău court to sentence Vladimir Plahotniuc, the country's most powerful former oligarch, to 25 years in a maximum-security prison on charges of leading a criminal organisation, large-scale fraud, and money laundering.
The request was made at the Buiucani District Court during the opening of closing arguments in the long-running case tied to the 2014–2015 bank fraud, in which roughly one billion dollars was siphoned from three Moldovan lenders. Plahotniuc was not present in court.
Prosecutor Alexandru Cernei told the court he had presented an analysis of evidence gathered during the investigation that he said demonstrated the defendant's guilt on each count separately.
"We requested that an aggregate sentence be imposed — a final penalty through the full cumulation of sentences amounting to 25 years of imprisonment," Cernei said. "This is the maximum penalty provided under the current Moldovan criminal code."
Prosecutors allege that Plahotniuc received tens of millions of dollars in allegedly embezzled funds.
The defence rejected the charges. Defence lawyer Lucian Rogac said his client was innocent and that the accusations were unfounded.
"This sentence is dictated more by politics than by the state," Rogac told the court.
Plahotniuc, once the leader of the ruling Democratic Party and widely described as the country's de facto power broker, was extradited from Greece on 25 September 2025 and made his first court appearance in December of that year. He has denied the charges and described the case as politically motivated, according to his legal team.
During the proceedings, the defence sought to call more than 160 witnesses; the court admitted 27, including former officials and politicians. On 20 March, the court extended Plahotniuc's pre-trial detention by a further 30 days. He is held at Prison No. 13 in Chișinău.
Beyond this case, Plahotniuc faces separate criminal proceedings related to additional episodes of the bank fraud, an investigation into the Metalferos company, alleged illicit asset acquisition, and a recent charge of making false declarations.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
