“Theft of the Billion” case: The Ministry of Finance will seek compensation of over 39 million lei
The state is pursuing over 700 million lei in compensation from former MP Vladimir Plahotniuc in connection with the "theft of the billion" case. According to prosecutor Alexandru Cernei, the Ministry of Finance will be filing a civil suit to recover these damages. Additionally, the court has begun hearing testimonies from witnesses for the prosecution. On Monday, October 27, both former Speaker of Parliament Igor Corman and former presidential advisor Ion Păduraru testified in court.
The civil action in this case is to be individualized; therefore, a new concrete civil action will be presented that specifically states the amounts pertaining to the accusations against the defendant. The defendant is accused of benefiting from $39 million and €3.5 million. These amounts will be converted and included in the civil action, as the entire bank fraud case is a general action encompassing all amounts for all defendants, Alexandru Cernei stated today at the Central Court of Appeal.
One of the witnesses heard on October 27 was Igor Corman, who served as the Speaker of Parliament from 2013 to 2014 and was the Democratic Party's candidate for that position.
“I answered all the questions. I have great esteem and respect for the media, and I am open to discussion. However, I believe you understand that the details we discussed in there cannot be shared here in front of you,” Corman said.
Another prosecution witness was Ion Păduraru, who served as an advisor to former President Nicolae Timofti between 2012 and 2016. Păduraru declined to answer any questions from journalists.
Prosecutor Alexandru Cernei announced that the prosecution plans to call 50 witnesses.
“Today, we heard the first witnesses from the list of accusers. These witnesses provided an overview of the situation in the banking system during their time in public office,” Cernei explained.
Lucian Rogac, one of Vladimir Plahotniuc's lawyers, remarked that the witnesses brought to court did not provide any significant statements. He emphasized that during the examined period, the institutions responsible for the banking system were not controlled by the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM), but rather by the Liberal Democratic Party.
“During today’s hearing, they were unable to communicate anything relevant to the accusations. On the contrary, they stated that they did not receive any instructions from Vladimir Plahotniuc on specific matters and were not influenced by him,” the lawyer noted.
When asked why Plahotniuc did not attend the court hearing, Rogac explained that the former Democratic leader still needs time to review the case against him.
Vladimir Plahotniuc has been in preventive detention since September 25, 2025, when four arrest warrants previously issued against him were executed following his extradition from Greece. He is currently held at Penitentiary No. 13 in Chisinau and is facing four high-profile criminal cases in the Republic of Moldova, including charges of creating and leading a criminal organization, fraud, money laundering, and bank fraud.
Plahotniuc maintains his innocence.
