The Ministry of Justice rejects the PA head's accusations regarding Shor's extradition: "We submitted the request to Israel in legal terms"
Veronica Dragalin, the head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, has accused the Ministry of Justice of sabotaging the extradition process for Ilan Șor from Israel. In response, the Ministry denies these accusations, stating that it has submitted the request under legal and international procedures. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dorin Recean characterized Dragalin's statements as politically motivated and emphasized that everyone expects to see evidence, files, and prison time.
"It was refused for a long time until I had to address the President, the Parliament, and the Prime Minister of the country to insist that our proposed version be sent. In the end, we managed to submit our version, but I do not understand why individuals from state institutions were reluctant to promote actions in the interest of our country. The accusations that the Prosecutor's Office is not doing enough to combat corruption or to pursue Ilan Shor are unfounded. My relationship with other state institutions has been strained for a long time," Dragalin said.
She also mentioned that the request was ultimately sent in the version proposed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Justice denies the accusations, stating that it sent the extradition request to Israel following legal protocols and consistently monitored its progress. The Ministry provided a timeline of the steps taken, indicating that the official extradition request was first sent to the Israeli authorities in February 2020, followed by several additional requests and documents to expedite the process. Furthermore, after confirming Ilan Shor's entry into Russia, a new extradition request was sent in February 2024 to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.
The Ministry asserts that it has adhered to all international extradition procedures and is the only institution authorized to submit such requests.
"The Ministry of Justice has a long-standing, proven track record in preparing extradition requests, which have consistently met the substantive and formal conditions set by the competent authorities of foreign states," the Ministry informed.
Ilan Shor fled the Republic of Moldova in the summer of 2019, alongside former democratic leader Vladimir Plahotniuc. For several years, he lived in Israel, the country of which he is a citizen. Since the beginning of 2023, Shor has increasingly travelled to the Russian Federation, where his wife and children reside. Previously, Interpol Chisinau requested the Kremlin to detain and extradite the fugitive oligarch to the Republic of Moldova; however, this request was denied.
We remind you that Shor continued to engage in politics in Chisinau even after he departed from the country. Initially, he did so through his party that bore his name, which has since been declared unconstitutional, and later through political formations affiliated with him.
