--- title: "Moldovan fugitive does business in Romania under a new identity" url: https://moldova1.md/p/90219/moldovan-fugitive-does-business-in-romania-under-a-new-identity published: 2026-11-14T12:45:00Z language: en author: "Bogdan Nigai" section: "Justice" source: moldova1.md --- # Moldovan fugitive does business in Romania under a new identity > A Moldovan businessman sentenced in absentia to 16 years in prison and wanted internationally since 2012 changed his name in Romania and attempted to take over several strategic power plants in the neighboring country. The man is 69-year-old Anatolie Tripăduș, who pledged hundreds of millions of euros in investment and even attended a reception hosted by the Russian Embassy in Bucharest. This was revealed by an investigation by RISE Moldova and RISE Project. ![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/b9f7a65d-2bfd-4520-b47a-b96a7b8b639e.jpg) A Moldovan businessman sentenced in absentia to 16 years in prison and wanted internationally since 2012 changed his name in Romania and attempted to take over several strategic power plants in the neighboring country. The man is 69-year-old Anatolie Tripăduș, who pledged hundreds of millions of euros in investment and even attended a reception hosted by the Russian Embassy in Bucharest. This was revealed by an investigation by RISE Moldova and RISE Project. Anatolie Tripăduș was convicted of economic crimes, including fraud, money laundering, embezzlement and the use of forged documents. In 2012, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, which was increased to 16 years in 2015. The sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court of Justice in 2016, but the man did not end up behind bars. Although he has been wanted internationally for almost 14 years, the businessman settled in Romania, where he changed his name in 2017 to Anatolie Vitușinscaia, after his wife's name. According to the investigation, he holds citizenship of the Republic of Moldova, Romania and the Russian Federation and has conducted business activities in all three countries, as well as in Bulgaria. The Moldovan Police confirmed that the man is still wanted internationally through a red notice issued via Interpol channels on May 25, 2012, for the purpose of arrest and extradition. This is different from a public Red Notice, which is why his name does not appear in the database accessible on the Interpol website. *“To date, no communications have been received from INTERPOL member states regarding the location or identification of the person. Therefore, the international search measure remains in effect,”* the General Inspectorate of Police stated. In Romania, Tripăduș attempted to acquire several important energy facilities. In 2020, he showed interest in CET Arad, and in 2021 in the Mintia Thermal Power Plant, but neither of these attempts resulted in a final offer. In 2023, through a company registered in Bulgaria, he submitted an offer of 12 million euros, plus VAT, for CET Galați. At the same time, he claimed to represent a consortium of companies from the United States and the United Kingdom, which was to invest 800 million euros in restarting the plant and building a new power station. Ultimately, the facility was purchased by other investors. The origin of the promised funds remains unclear. According to the investigation, several of the companies associated with the businessman do not have publicly available financial data that would allow verification of their investment capacity. Currently, Tripăduș is promoting a new industrial project in the Giurgiu Free Zone, on the banks of the Danube. Through the company ISCO DSM Pectin, he announces his intention to build a soybean processing plant with a capacity of 180,000 tons per year. The businessman claims that the project involves partners from Russia and Israel, but journalists have not found any evidence that these companies own the nearly 18 hectares of land where the investment is supposed to be made. The investigation also documented Tripăduș's presence at a reception organized by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bucharest on February 9, 2023. In the photographs published by the diplomatic mission, he appears alongside the then Russian Ambassador, Valery Kuzmin, and the military attaché Victor Makovski, who was later expelled from Romania in 2025. ![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/31c6ba35-3c0b-4cf9-8d0f-0347269eb1ff.jpg) **Convicted in the Republic of Moldova, but with a new identity and businesses in Romania** The change of identity was not registered in the Republic of Moldova either. The Public Services Agency confirmed that the man is still listed in the national registers under the name Anatolie Tripăduș, with no information about his new name in Romania. The lack of results in locating and apprehending the convicted individual raises questions about the cooperation between the authorities of the two countries. Attorney Vadim Vieru, who specializes in criminal law, believes that simply submitting a request through Interpol is not enough. *"For a convicted fugitive, Moldovan law requires more than an Interpol notice. Searching for individuals who evade serving their sentences is an explicit task of special investigative activities. The police maintain a search file, in which they must document the operational measures taken. When the police learn the new name, they must update the data in the Interpol system and directly request the countries where he has business interests to locate and provisionally arrest him,”* the lawyer explained. When contacted by journalists, Anatolie Tripăduș refused to provide explanations about his business activities, his change of identity, and his relationship with the Russian Embassy. The Romanian Police also did not respond to the questions before the publication of the investigation. According to lawyer Vadim Vieru, the 16-year prison sentence does not become time-barred as long as the convicted person evades its execution. Therefore, the years spent outside the Republic of Moldova do not exempt him from the obligation to serve his sentence.