Moldova Court extends preventive detention for former Democratic leader Vladimir Plahotniuc
Former Democratic Party leader Vladimir Plahotniuc will spend an additional 30 days in custody after the Chișinău Court, Buiucani seat, ruled on Monday, December 22, to extend his preventive detention.
The court fully granted the request of anti-corruption prosecutors, ensuring the former politician remains in detention until January 23, 2026.
According to the judicial ruling, the new term is calculated starting December 24, 2025, at 09:26 AM. The extension warrant was executed immediately and forwarded to the prison administration. The defense has three days to appeal the decision at the Central Court of Appeal.
Before the hearing, when asked if he possessed compromising materials regarding several high-ranking officials, Plahotniuc avoided a definitive answer, stating only: "I have to think about it."
The ruling coincided with a new hearing in the high-profile "Banking Fraud" case. The court is scheduled to hear testimony from several witnesses, including Ion Sturzu, the former Vice-Governor of the National Bank of Moldova.
Vladimir Plahotniuc has been in preventive detention since September 25, 2025, following his extradition from Greece, which activated four previously issued arrest warrants. Currently held in Chișinău’s Penitentiary No. 13, he faces charges in four major criminal cases, including the creation and leadership of a criminal organization, fraud, money laundering, and his involvement in the 2014 banking scandal.
The former political figure, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, maintains his innocence.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
