"Exaggerated": Plahotniuc disputes evidence and 25-year prison request
Vladimir Plahotniuc, the former leader of the Democratic Party, asserts that the 25-year sentence prosecutors seek for his role in bank fraud is "exaggerated." He returned to court on Wednesday, March 25, after missing several hearings, and he criticized the evidence presented by the prosecutors.
The trial at the Chisinau Courthouse in Buiucani is currently in the final pleadings stage, following the conclusion of the judicial investigation in February. Unlike in most previous hearings where he was absent, Vladimir Plahotniuc appeared in court today and announced that he was prepared to make statements.
Before the hearing began, he told the press that the prosecutors would lack evidence to incriminate him.
"You will hear about the evidence today; I have prepared a lot to present. However, I assure you that the prosecutors are attempting to compensate for their total lack of evidence, which I will demonstrate today," declared Plahotniuc.
The defendant argued that the prosecutors’ request for a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison was unfounded due to a lack of evidence.
"If they are asking for so many years, it means there is something. However, today I will demonstrate certain instances that have not been presented before, along with compelling evidence. This will be a useful presentation for the court, interesting for those in attendance, and somewhat disheartening for the prosecutors, as they will witness the falsifications they made in the materials," Plahotniuc stated.
He also added that the time he requested to prepare his defense was not intended to delay the trial, but rather to study the case file. "The preparation conditions are complicated. I have 100 materials to write down by hand, and then I have to send them for editing. It’s a complex process," he explained.
On March 23, prosecutors requested a 25-year prison sentence for Plahotniuc in a closed facility, which is the maximum penalty allowed by law for the charges being examined: creation and management of a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering in significant amounts.
Prosecutors claim that between 2013 and 2015, Plahotniuc benefited directly from approximately $39.2 million and €3.5 million stolen from Banca de Economii (BEM), Unibank, and Banca Socială, the three banks implicated in a fraudulent scheme.
Allegedly, part of this money was used to purchase a luxury plane, fund vacations, and cover personal expenses, with the funds obtained from bank loans fraudulently secured by companies associated with the "Șor" group.
The defense denies the charges and asserts that the case is politically motivated, seeking the defendant's acquittal.
Vladimir Plahotniuc, who was extradited from Greece in September 2025, is currently in pre-trial detention at Penitentiary No. 13 in Chisinau, where his detention measure has recently been extended.
