The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) announced on Thursday, January 12, that the magistrates of the Buiucani Court of Chisinau have admitted the Prosecutor’s request in the case of Veaceslav Platon, accused of money laundering, which requested the transfer to the account of the Agency for the Recovery of Criminal Assets (ARBI) of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA) of funds amounting to over 268 million lei. According to a press release, the amount results from the sale-purchase transaction of 63.89% of the shares of BC ,,Moldindconbank” SA held on the bank account of the financial institution.

Similarly, the court issued a decision rejecting Ilan Shor’s requests for recognition as an injured party and civil party.

Previously, prosecutors had seized the funds in question, which was subsequently authorised by the Chisinau Ciocana Court. The measure was applied in order to recover the damage caused to BC ,,Banca de Economii” SA.

“The necessity of transferring the money to the custody of the state (ARBI) is to ensure their safekeeping, efficient management and preservation of their value as well as avoiding additional costs for administration, this mechanism increasing the ability to effectively recover criminal assets,” the PA notes.

More than 30 court hearings adjourned in Platon’s trial for fraud and large-scale money laundering The ARBI in June 2022 imposed seizures of more than 268 million lei based on prosecutors’ powers of attorney in the Laundromat case.

According to prosecutors, the criminal case in question was initiated by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office on reasonable suspicion of committing the offences of money laundering, abuse of office and making, possessing, selling or using false official documents, prints, stamps or seals.

“Anti-corruption prosecutors have found that during 2010-2014, Veaceslav Platon, established and led a criminal organization, consisting of several separate organized criminal groups, operating on the territory of Moldova, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and other states. In this respect, this criminal organization set up a transnational money laundering scheme carried out through a financial institution in the Republic of Moldova, controlled by the leader of the criminal organization, as well as through banking institutions in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Latvia, controlled and managed directly and indirectly by members of the organized criminal group, including citizens of the Russian Federation and a financial institution in the Republic of Latvia.

Thus, under the pretext of executing multiple illegal court orders and bailiff’s orders, the transfer and conversion of funds of dubious origin from the Russian Federation in the total amount of USD 22 013 152 654.62 (US dollars) was carried out, contrary to the national legislation of Moldova and the Russian Federation,” the Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

Subsequently, according to the PA, the indicated funds were converted and transferred to the accounts of non-resident companies opened both in financial institutions in Moldova and in the Republic of Latvia, managed by the controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon.

On 1 December 2021, anti-corruption prosecutors indicted Veaceslav Platon in absentia, charging him with 3 counts, as follows: – 190 para. (5) of the Criminal Code (Fraud committed in particularly large proportions); – 196 para. (4) of the Criminal Code (Causing particularly great material damage by deception or breach of trust);- Article 361(4) of the Criminal Code (Causing particularly great material damage by deception or breach of trust) (2) (b) and (d) of the Criminal Code (Making, possession, sale or use of false official documents, prints, stamps or seals).

In April 2022, controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon who, according to the authorities, is in London was indicted in the Laundromat case.

The Interpol National Bureau in Chisinau sent a request to the INTERPOL International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO) General Secretariat in Lyon, France, asking for the controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon, who fled Moldova after the July 11 parliamentary elections, to be put on the wanted list. Controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon flew from Chisinau to Prague on Sunday evening, 19 July, but from there he flew to London. Later, in a Facebook post, Platon confirmed that he was in London.