Moldova: Controversial oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc extradited from Greece
Vladimir Plahotniuc, a highly controversial former politician and businessman, is being extradited to the Republic of Moldova six years after fleeing the country.
He was brought in handcuffs to the capital, Chișinău, from Greece on Thursday, September 25, to face criminal charges, including money laundering, fraud, and creating a criminal organisation. The former Democratic leader, who is under international sanctions, was detained on July 22, 2025, at the Athens airport while attempting to leave for Dubai, accompanied by former Democratic MP Constantin Țuțu.
From Power Peak to Fugitive Status
After a period during which he operated largely in the shadows, rapidly developing his businesses during the Communist regime, Vladimir Plahotniuc became known to the public in 2010 as a prosperous businessman and a member of parliament on the lists of the Democratic Party (PDM). He quickly rose to the centre of power, being considered the "puppeteer" who coordinated the subsequent governing coalitions, a nickname he was given by the press. In 2016, Plahotniuc officially took over the leadership of the PDM, and in 2019 he won the parliamentary elections in his native constituency, Nisporeni, with over 70% of the votes, following a controversial replacement of the proportional electoral system with a mixed one.
In June 2019, following an unusual coalition between the Party of Socialists and the ACUM Bloc, the Democratic government was removed from power, and Plahotniuc left the country, on the same day he had a meeting with the US and Romanian ambassadors in Chișinău. A few weeks later, he announced his resignation from political functions and disappeared from public view.
An International Network and False Identities
Following his departure from the Republic of Moldova, Plahotniuc was located successively in the USA, Turkey, Northern Cyprus, France, Switzerland, and Greece. Authorities previously stated that he used multiple false identities: Vlad Ulinici (Romania), Vladislav Novak (a secondary Moldovan identity), and Vito Perez Gonzalez (Mexico), the latter set of false documents being delivered in Dubai, according to Mexican authorities.
"How many passports did Plahotniuc and Țuțu have, and under what names? Police reveal the false identities and documents seized by Greek authorities".
In 2022, Vladimir Plahotniuc reappeared in the public sphere, giving a rare interview to the Tribuna portal, in which he criticised the PAS government and announced a possible active return to the political scene, an event that did not happen until his extradition to the Republic of Moldova.
Despite several actions announced by Moldovan law enforcement agencies over the past six years, Plahotniuc's arrest and extradition were not possible due to the lack of an Interpol notification. This was only issued in February 2025, after the Moldovan authorities succeeded in reintroducing the case to the agenda of the Interpol Commission for the Control of Files, which had previously rejected the request, citing potential political motives.
Criminal Cases and Damages to the State
Plahotniuc is accused in several criminal cases, but only one has reached the court—the one separated from the file concerning the 2014 banking fraud, known as "The Billion Dollar Theft". According to prosecutors, between 2013 and 2015, Plahotniuc allegedly benefited from over $39m and €3.5m, transferred through a network controlled by Ilan Șor, a fellow fugitive politician, sentenced to 15 years in prison in the banking fraud case.
The funds were allegedly used by Plahotniuc for luxury purchases, including a private jet, real estate properties, and maintenance services for his inner circle.
Other files in Plahotniuc's name:
"The Black Bag" (Kuliok) Case, currently under criminal investigation—Plahotniuc is accused of offering a bribe to Igor Dodon in 2019 to influence political decisions;
"Illicit Enrichment" Case—Prosecutors are investigating Plahotniuc's luxury purchases, estimated at hundreds of millions of euros, suspected of originating from illicit sources and money laundering;
Case concerning the "Fraudulent Procurement of Blank Passports"—Plahotniuc is being investigated for involvement in illegal purchases of blank passport booklets, in the context of his control over state institutions;
Case concerning "Forgery of Identity Documents"—Plahotniuc is accused of using multiple false identities to avoid his detention after an international search warrant was issued;
The "Metalferos" Case—Plahotniuc is under investigation for involvement in corruption and money laundering schemes at this state-owned enterprise, a case which also targets one of his close associates, Vladimir Andronachi;
International Sanctions: USA, EU, UK, and Canada
Vladimir Plahotniuc has been included, starting in 2020, in the international sanctions lists of the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the EU for systemic corruption, undermining the rule of law, and attempts to destabilise the Republic of Moldova.
As a result, any assets held by Plahotniuc in these states or any of their territories will be frozen. Furthermore, he is prohibited from entering the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the territory of the EU, and citizens of these countries are forbidden from engaging in any type of economic transactions with him.
From Greece to Penitentiary No. 13
On July 22, 2025, six years and one month after he fled the Republic of Moldova, Plahotniuc was detained at the Athens airport, along with former Democratic MP Constantin Țuțu, while attempting to leave for Dubai.
The Prosecutor General’s Office in Chișinău sent two extradition requests in Plahotniuc's name, and the Ministry of Justice sent a third, all of which were accepted by the Greek authorities.
Although the Greek Ministry of Justice suspended the extradition procedure for two days, it was resumed last week, and Vladimir Plahotniuc will be handed over to the Republic of Moldova's authorities on September 25.
Moldova's Justice Minister, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, announced that Vladimir Plahotniuc will be placed in a separate cell at Penitentiary No. 13, given his history as a senior public official, as well as for security reasons.
Vladimir Plahotniuc risks serving a prison sentence of eight to 15 years if found guilty in the case concerning the banking fraud.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
