Moldova seeks 25-year sentence for oligarch Plahotniuc over fraud case

Moldova’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has appealed the sentencing of oligarch and former Democratic Party leader Vlad Plahotniuc, who was previously given a 19-year prison term in the so-called “billion theft” case.

The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the current sentence is considered too lenient, given the severity of the crimes and does not reflect their social danger, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Prosecutors argue that no mitigating circumstances were identified in the case, and that the court failed to adequately consider the defendant’s profile and the risk of reoffending.

As a result, the prosecution is seeking partial annulment of the ruling and a retrial with a harsher sentence of 25 years in prison.

The prosecution is also challenging the court’s decision not to confiscate assets worth around $39.2 million and €3.5 million, arguing that confiscation and compensation are separate measures that can be applied simultaneously.

According to prosecutors, a stricter sentence and asset confiscation are necessary to properly reflect the scale of the crime and prevent similar cases in the future.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov