Former Moldovan MP Vladimir Andronachi faces new money laundering charges
Prosecutors in Moldova are seeking to have former Democratic Party MP Vladimir Andronachi held in pre-trial detention.
He was arrested on September 3 on new criminal charges, and a court hearing is scheduled for Friday, 5 September, at 11:15 BST.
Mr Andronachi faces charges of aggravated money laundering, an offence punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine. The former Democratic Party of Moldova MP is already the subject of three other ongoing criminal cases. These include allegations of bank fraud, a scandal related to the state-owned Metalferos company, and the acquisition of blank passports. In these cases, he is accused of causing millions of Moldovan lei in damages to the state, money laundering, and creating and leading a criminal organisation.
Mr Andronachi, who was a vice-president of the Democratic Party led by Vladimir Plahotniuc, maintains his innocence. He served as an MP from 2015 to 2021.
He fled Moldova but was captured in Ukraine in November 2022 and extradited back to Chișinău. After a period in custody, he was put under house arrest and, in August 2023, was released on bail after several guarantors, including a priest, paid 22,000 Moldovan lei.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
