Fugitive Oligarch Ilan Șor Faces Global Sanctions and 15-Year Sentence
If Ilan Șor were to eventually renounce his Moldovan citizenship after obtaining Russian citizenship, this would not affect the ongoing cases in which he is involved.
On the other hand, it could influence extradition procedures or international judicial cooperation, specified the deputy head of the Anti Corruption Prosecutor's Office (PA), Octavian Iachimovschi, in a response to "Teleradio-Moldova."
"Renunciation of citizenship (editor's note: of the Republic of Moldova) could influence extradition procedures or international judicial cooperation. For example, if Ilan Șor is sought in other countries or has ongoing investigations in other jurisdictions, renunciation of citizenship could affect how Moldovan authorities cooperate with other states in these cases," stated the PA's response from June 5 to "Teleradio-Moldova."
However, renunciation of citizenship does not mean that ongoing cases will be affected, specifies the PA. Octavian Iachimovschi assures that, regardless of his citizenship, Ilan Șor, who was sentenced by Moldovan justice to 15 years in prison for defrauding the country's banking system, will be held accountable.
"Renunciation of citizenship does not mean that the ongoing cases regarding Ilan Șor will be terminated. The legal procedures within these cases will continue according to current legislation, and Ilan Șor will be held accountable by Moldovan authorities, regardless of his citizenship," the PA response also stated.
Background: Ilan Șor received Russian Federation citizenship. The fugitive oligarch made this information public in mid-May. The head of Interpol Moldova, Viorel Țentiu, confirmed to "Teleradio-Moldova" that Ilan Șor received Russian citizenship at the beginning of 2024. Thus, Șor currently holds three citizenships - Moldovan, Israeli, and Russian. Asked for a reaction, the head of the Public Services Agency, Mircea Eșanu, stated to our source that Ilan Șor had not submitted any request to renounce Moldovan citizenship as of May 16.
Ilan Șor: Convicted and Investigated for Bank Fraud
Ilan Șor fled the Republic of Moldova in the summer of 2019, along with the former democratic leader, Vladimir Plahotniuc. For several years, he lived in Israel, where he is a citizen. Since the beginning of last year, Șor has been travelling more frequently to the Russian Federation, where his wife and children live. Previously, Interpol Chișinău asked the Kremlin to detain and extradite the fugitive oligarch to the Republic of Moldova. However, the request was refused.
Additional information: Șor continued to be involved in Chișinău politics, even after fleeing the country. Initially, he did so through his eponymous party, which was later declared unconstitutional, and subsequently through affiliated political formations. The Chișinău government accuses him of leading an "organised criminal group" that attempts to destabilise the situation in the Republic of Moldova in the interest of the Russian Federation. The oligarch denies the accusations.
In April 2023, Ilan Șor was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The judges then placed a seizure on goods valued at over 5 billion lei, belonging to the fugitive oligarch. According to the PA, the prison sentence for Șor will be calculated from the moment of his detention by the competent authorities.
The PA specified to "Teleradio-Moldova" that Ilan Șor is currently targeted in the criminal case known as "The Bank Fraud," which is in the phase of criminal prosecution.
In this context, Ilan Șor is on the blacklist of the American and British governments. Likewise, he appears on sanction lists imposed by Canada and the EU for connections with the Kremlin and attempts to destabilise the Republic of Moldova.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
