On March 10, 2023, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office sent to the court for substantive examination the criminal case disjoined from the case generically called “Bank Fraud” against Vladimir Andronachi, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced in a statement on Monday, March 13.

According to the press release, “Vladimir Andronachi is accused of committing the crimes of fraud and money laundering in particularly large proportions, through complex participation as an organizer, instigator and perpetrator in the interests of a criminal organization as well as an accomplice, accused of committing the crime of money laundering by complicity in particularly large proportions in the interests of the criminal group part of the criminal organization”.

“According to the investigations, as a result of the acts charged against the defendants, the state of Moldova was damaged by the amount of over 26 million lei, i.e. the stolen money in the amount of over 1 million dollars and approximately 800,000 euros was laundered to the account of other companies affiliated with the criminal organization led by Vladimir Plahotniuc, as well as to companies within the organized criminal group led by Vladimir Andronachi, thus creating the necessary conditions for the stratification and integration of the stolen money into the national legal circuit and that of other countries,” the authorities announce.

The PA announces that, “the amount of the damage caused was covered by the seizures applied by the PA, jointly with the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency of the National Anti-Corruption Centre (NAC)”.

“The prosecution body did not establish the accomplice’s whereabouts, and the criminal case (materialized in 77 volumes as well as with electronic information) was sent for examination to the Court of the Municipality of. Chisinau, Buiucani headquarters, making use of the new provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which authorized the investigating judge to complete the criminal proceedings in the absence of the person evading the prosecution.

At the same time, we remind that Vladimir Andronachi was arrested on 2 November 2022 and his pre-trial detention was applied and extended, expiring on 1 April 2023″, the press release states.

For the offences committed, the law provides for a maximum penalty of 8 to 15 years’ imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or to carry out a certain activity for up to 5 years and 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment.

A person charged with a criminal offence is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.