Oligarch Plahotniuc to Moldova: Billion-dollar fraud case
Fugitive oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc is set to be extradited to the Republic of Moldova, not the Russian Federation.
Although Moscow also issued an arrest warrant for him, Moldovan authorities have priority, Viorel Cernăuțeanu, head of the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), told Euronews Romania.
"The arrest warrant that led to Plahotniuc's detention yesterday was issued by the Republic of Moldova. Moldova had, in fact, initiated this request in March this year," Viorel Cernăuțeanu stated. "Our request dates back four or five years, but regrettably, at that stage, Interpol's Commission for the Control of Files rejected the search for Plahotniuc based on Article 3 of its Constitution, citing political grounds."
Vladimir Plahotniuc and Constantin Țuțu were detained on the morning of Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at 'Eleftherios Venizelos' International Airport in Athens, as they attempted to leave Greece for Dubai.
Following their detention, authorities in the Republic of Moldova announced that the extradition procedure had been initiated. The Ministry of Justice officially confirmed it had launched Plahotniuc's extradition process, in cooperation with the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office and the International Police Cooperation Directorate within the IGP.
Concurrently, Greek police conducted raids on a luxury villa in the Saronida Panorama neighborhood, south of Athens, where Plahotniuc and Țuțu resided. During the intervention, investigators seized over 155,000 euros in cash, 17 fake passports and identity cards, allegedly issued by Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Kosovo, and Egypt, along with several encrypted electronic devices, phones, luxury watches, and a vehicle used for clandestine movements.
Greek media reports that Plahotniuc had fake Bulgarian documents, a laptop, and 2,670 euros on him. Constantin Țuțu, for his part, had fake Romanian passports, a residence permit, a forged driving license, and over 2,000 euros.
On July 23, Greek prosecutors issued a 40-day arrest warrant for Vladimir Plahotniuc, announced the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Moldova. According to the institution, the term was set in accordance with the provisions of the European Extradition Convention, during which Moldovan authorities are to submit the official extradition request to Greece.
The 59-year-old Vladimir Plahotniuc is the subject of at least four criminal cases handled by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office in the Republic of Moldova. Three of these are in the preliminary investigation phase, while one – currently before the court – concerns his involvement in the 2013–2015 bank fraud, widely known as 'the Billion Dollar Fraud.' According to investigators, over one billion dollars was allegedly embezzled from the Moldovan banking system during that period.
Plahotniuc is accused of creating and leading an organized criminal group, large-scale money laundering, and fraud.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
