Plahotniuc’s extradition suspended; to testify before Greek prosecutor in Romanian case
Vladimir Plahotniuc is under investigation in Romania for forgery, prompting the Greek Ministry of Justice to suspend his extradition to Moldova. A Greek legal source, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, reported that the former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova is also expected to provide explanations to a Greek prosecutor regarding this case.
The decision comes just days after a Greek court approved the extradition of Vladimir Plahotniuc to the authorities in Chișinău in connection with the case known as "the theft of the billion," just before the parliamentary elections scheduled for September 28.
On Wednesday, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Moldova confirmed the suspension of the extradition procedure. They noted that they were informed through Interpol channels, although no official reason was provided.
The oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc was detained in Athens on July 22 and is currently being held in the largest prison in Greece.
The former leader of the Democratic Party had evaded justice in the Republic of Moldova for six years and is facing charges in four criminal cases. These charges include creating and leading a criminal organization, fraud, and money laundering.
If convicted, Plahotniuc risks a prison sentence of 8 to 15 years.
