Oligarch accused of $1-bn fraud extradited to Moldova
Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc (C), accused of acting of behalf of Russia, exits Chisinau International Airport under police escort, on September 25, 2025, after his extradition from Greece following his arrest earlier in July. Vladimir Plahotniuc, who has been wanted since 2019, was one of two Moldovans detained in Greece, police said in a Telegram post. The Greek news agency ANA said Plahotniuc, a former kingpin in the Democratic Party of Moldova, was arrested at the Athens airport under an Interpol international alert and was wanted for fraud, money laundering and criminal conspiracy. Moldavan authorities said 59-year-old Plahotniuc was trying to get to Dubai.
Image: AFP
A fugitive Moldovan oligarch, wanted over a $1.0-billion fraud case, landed in the capital Chisinau on Thursday after being extradited from detention in Greece, an AFP journalist saw.
Former lawmaker Vladimir Plahotniuc, who has been wanted since 2019 over allegations of corruption, arrived at the airport in the Moldovan capital just days ahead of Sunday's high-stakes parliamentary elections.
In late July, Plahotniuc was arrested at Athens airport in Greece under an Interpol international alert, notably for fraud, money laundering and criminal conspiracy.
The former kingpin in the Democratic Party of Moldova was seeking to fly to Dubai, according to Moldovan authorities.
Plahotniuc, 59, worked in business and finance before entering politics with the Democratic Party of Moldova.
He fled the country in 2019, when he was facing several investigations, including over the disappearance of around one billion dollars from three banks.
The European Union ordered sanctions against Plahotniuc last year, accusing him of seeking to destabilise the country ahead of its presidential election in September.
He has also been sanctioned by US and British authorities.
At the time of his arrest in Greece in July, Moldovan political analyst Valeriu Pasa said that Plahotniuc was suspected of involvement in Russian attempts "to destabilise the country".
AFP