Prosecutor General: Plahotniuc is the main beneficiary of theft of a billion, extradition request

Alexandr Stoianoglo,
Prosecutor General

Since November 2014, Moldova is infamously known in the whole world — one billion US dollars was stolen from the National Reserves of the National Bank. It was dubbed the Heist of the Century as the embezzlement represents one eighth of the Moldovan GDP.

On 18 May 2020, the new Prosecutor General, Alexandr Stoianolgo, on behalf of his institution, made an official statement, stating:

➊ the Prosecutor's Office have incontrovertible evidence that Vladimir Plahotniuc is the main beneficiary of the stolen billion;

➋ a new indictment against Vladimir Plahotniuc is adopted, adding new counts of accusation, namely: creation of a criminal organisation, fraud and money laundering, both committed on especially large scale.

➌ after the translation, the indictments will be submitted to the competent US authorities for extradition and prosecution of Plahotniuc in the Republic of Moldova.

Below are the full Prosecutor General's statement, the Reuters article and update of 16 June 2020 concerning the extradition request:

Procuratura Generală
a Republicii Moldova
18 mai 2020

Prosecutor General’s Office
of the Republic of Moldova
18 May 2020

OFFICIAL NOTE

Starting with 2015, the beneficiaries of the “THEFT OF THE BILLION” were divided into 3 groups of interests: the Group of Platon, the Group of Shor and the Group of Filat. Platon and Filat were convicted, the Shor case is still pending before the court.

The two Kroll reports were not published for a long time, and we found that this was not done by accident. Do you remember the statements that most of the people in the Kroll report are "absolutely honest"? In fact, it was established that the Kroll Report refers to another group of influence — the PLAHOTNIUC GROUP, which, officially, was mentioned nowhere.

However, analysing the materials of the case files regarding the aforementioned persons, as well as other relevant materials, which were intentionally ignored and left without legal assessment, the active involvement of the Plahotniuc group in bank fraud got outlined — evidence that, in fact, existed from the very beginning.

Having studied the ensemble of the criminal cases concerning the “BANK FRAUD”, as well as other criminal procedure materials, and having additionally performed a series of operative measures, we managed to establish the following:

ONE: The file regarding the citizen Veaceslav Platon was falsified in full. The accusation was based on deliberately distorted assessments and misinterpretation of facts, which resulted from the accusations with respect to Shor. Therefore, the citizen Platon was absolutely illegally convicted and, respectively, he is illegally serving his sentence. Based on the accumulated evidence, the Prosecutors’ Office will initiate the procedure of reviewing the sentence in respect of him and will insist on the fair examination of the case, with the guarantees of all his procedural rights, which he was previously deprived of. In order to avoid all kinds of speculation, we will demand the court to examine the case in a transparent manner, in a fair trial, in order to allow the society to assess the materials on which his accusation relies; to find out who, in fact, is behind these falsehoods and who, in reality, benefited from the misappropriated financial means.

TWO: One of the main beneficiaries of the theft of the billion is Vladimir Plahotniuc. We have incontrovertible evidence that the citizen Plahotniuc is the beneficiary of the money obtained as loans from BEM (Banca de Economii), through the Group of Shor, covered subsequently from the financial means of the National Bank of Moldova. In total, over one hundred million US dollars.

The sum was directed to the purchase of the package of shares of a bank, the building of the insurance company ASITO, the Case Modei and the hotel "National." Also, the money received from the BEM loans was used by Plahotniuc for personal purposes or by his affiliated companies for the purchase of an airjet, for the payment of his personal charter flights and of those made by his entourage.

Based on the findings, today, a new indictment will be adopted against citizen Plahotniuc, and the charges against him will be supplemented with three counts of accusation, namely: the creation of a criminal organisation, fraud and money laundering, both committed on especially large-scale. As soon as the indictments are translated into English, they will be submitted to the competent authorities of the United States of America for his extradition and prosecution in the Republic of Moldova.

Together with other authorities, we will take measures to prosecute both the personal property of Plahotniuc and of the companies affiliated to him.

I am well aware that after such decisions, the Prosecutors’ Office, as well as myself personally, will be subjected to an avalanche of harsh criticism and even threats from political forces affiliated with Plahotniuc, the media and civil society he controls.

In these circumstances, we count on the support of those healthy forces of our society, for which human rights, the rule of law and a democratic society are not empty words.

It is, if you will, a moment of truth, which will show how prepared our society is for change.

Do we want a free and democratic society or do we continue to live in fear and lies?

You should know that I am not afraid of threats and criticism, because I do the right things that the country, society and every citizen need.

I call a spade a spade, because society deserves and has the right to know the reality. However, as a man of law, I cannot help but recall that any person is presumed innocent until a final and irrevocable court decision is pronounced.

Alexandr Stoianoglo,

Prosecutor General

Official site: http://www.procuratura.md/md/newslst/1211/1/8322/

Moldova accuses tycoon of involvement in $1 billion fraud

Reuters, 18 May 2020

CHISINAU (Reuters) - Moldova’s Prosecutor General said on Monday that one of the country’s richest people, Vladimir Plahotniuc, had been charged with involvement in the theft of $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014-2015.

FILE PHOTO: Leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova Vladimir Plahotniuc delivers a speech during a rally demanding a creation of parliament coalition, in Chisinau, Moldova June 9, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo

Plahotniuc left Moldova for the United States last year after his Democratic Party lost power in an election. Representatives for him were unavailable for comment on Monday although his lawyers last year denied he was involved in the theft.

Known locally as the “theft of the century”, the scandal saw the equivalent of an eighth of the impoverished former Soviet republic’s gross domestic product stolen from three of its largest banks.

The scandal triggered street protests, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union froze aid, the leu currency plunged to record lows and inflation climbed into double digits.

The prosecutor’s office said the criminal case against Plahotniuc was opened on Monday and the charges included creation of an organised criminal group, extortion and fraud.

Alexander Stoeanoglo told a news briefing the investigation had irrefutable evidence that Plahotniuc was one of the main beneficiaries of the theft.

“We found that it was his firms ... that received loans from Banca de Economii in the amount of more than $100 million,” Stoeanoglo said.

Banca de Economii is one of the three Moldovan banks that were victims of the crime.

Moldova has already jailed former prime minister Vlad Filat and businessman Veaceslav Platon in connection with the scandal, in which money was for year siphoned overseas through dubious loans, asset swaps and shareholder deals.

It is unclear how the case against Plahotniuc might affect the political situation in Moldova, where a presidential election is expected in the autumn, and the third government in a year may resign this month.

According to local media, Plahotniuc’s supporters have about 20% of the seats in parliament.

Link to the article.

✎ More links:

Update of 16 June 2020

PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE

PRESS RELEASE
16 June 2020

The Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Moldova requests the extradition of Vladimir Plahotniuc.

The Prosecutor General, Alexandr Stoianoglo, requested the competent authorities of the United States of America to extradite the former leader of the Democratic Party in order to be held accountable in the Republic of Moldova.

The complete set of documents and materials required in this procedure have already been sent to American colleagues.

The extradition request is based on the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, adopted in New York on 15 November 2000 and ratified by the Republic of Moldova on 16 October 2005, and on the basis of the principle of reciprocity.

At the same time, the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office recently submitted to the American authorities a request for a rogatory commission, requesting the performance of several criminal prosecution measures, including those concerning Vladimir Plahotniuc's assets in the USA.

In the next few days, the PCCOCS (Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organised Crime and Special Cases), which is investigating another criminal case against the named person, is to send a request for a rogatory commission to the US authorities.

Both requests for rogatory commissions are submitted in order to administer the necessary evidence to confirm the accusations brought against Vladimir Plahotniuc, to identify and seize the assets resulting from crimes, as well as to recover the damage caused by the fraud of the banking system.

Link to Press Release.

Update of 20 August 2020

PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE

Briefing of 20 August 2020

On 20 August 2020, the Prosecutor General, Alexandr Stoianoglo, had a briefing. He stated that the investigation found Vladimir Plahotniuc as the perpetrator and beneficiary of a large-scale scam, which caused a 1.2 billion lei damage to the state. Within his briefing, the Prosecutor General also emphasised that whenever the prosecutors touch the interests of Plahotniuc, a group of judges get active in thwarting the investigation:

I noticed one important thing. The repetition of the blockades by the judges every time and in every case in which the interests of the citizen Vladimir Plahotniuc are affected.

The prosecutors do not believe in coincidences.

I have previously reported on the obstacles and blockages faced by prosecutors in arresting (in absentia) Plahotniuc and his property, in obtaining search warrants for the former headquarters of the Democratic Party, or in arresting the individuals involved in the banking fraud.

One thing is strange. Until June 2019, we noticed the absolute disinterest of judges towards hundreds of people, who, although they had nothing to do with the criminal world, were illegally arrested, prosecuted and brought to criminal liability.

Should we believe in the solid evidence of the prosecutors of that time?

Looks like the problem is different. Some representatives of the judiciary do not comply with the principle of independence, conferred to them by law, and continue to serve the interests of Plahotniuc's corporation. More precisely, they recall this principle of independence only when they come across a case that bothers the "coordinator" (one of Plahotniuc's nicknames).

Only through joint and sustained efforts and actions, based on law and good faith, will we be able to restore confidence in justice. There is no other way.

The original statements are on the official site of the General Prosecutor’s Office, while the English translation is attached below.

* * *

Statements of the General Prosecutor,

Alexandr Stoianoglo, Press Briefing, 20 August 2020

The last two weeks have abounded with information regarding the "Metalferos" case.

The polemics were activated after the General Prosecutor's Office undertook a series of procedural actions in this regard.

I declare from the beginning that, despite all the insinuations, the actions of the prosecutor's office have nothing to do with the situation on the metals market, nor with the privatisation process of the company "Metalferos".

The actions of the General Prosecutor's Office were not spontaneous; they are the result of a titanic work, carried out by the prosecutors during the last 5 months.

The fact that this sector of the business was monopolised was well known to many people, who knew that a large part of the financial resources circulating in the business were appropriated through various schemes.

Unfortunately, previously, apart from empty words, the state institutions, including the Prosecutor's Office, have done nothing. No action in this direction. The case, initiated a year ago by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, was a purely formal one, which was limited to the superficial investigation of some unimportant aspects.

According to a survey conducted by the General Prosecutor's Office, previously, the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office have failed to document the basic aspect of the crime, namely – the economic one, in the absence of an analysis of bank accounts from which the cash was withdrawn, apprehended several people. Some were later released and others were placed in custody.

Instead, this huge volume of work was carried out by the General Prosecutor's Office during the quarantine. More than a hundred bank accounts were analysed by prosecutors, which resulted in determining the outlined aspects of the crime. Based on the findings, steps were taken to arrest those involved in the fraud related to the State Enterprise "Metalferos", some of them also being previously apprehended.

The investigations revealed that during years the ferrous metals market was monopolised, SE “Metalferos” having active connections only with certain particular companies, with which the metal delivery contracts were concluded. On average, up to $280 per ton was transferred to the accounts of these companies. The amounts were subsequently cashed on the basis of acts of acquisition of metals from individuals, mainly from the left bank of the Dniester river.

In reality, however, the metals were purchased from collectors in the Republic of Moldova, at a price of about $150 per ton, the difference being stolen by the accused.

Following the implementation of this scheme, the state would have suffered damage of approximately 1.2 billion lei.

At the same time, the investigation established that, in the absence of an economic justification, between 2012 and 2019, the citizen Plahotniuc would have organised, through non-resident companies whose actual beneficiary was himself, the export of ferrous and non-ferrous metals to specialised collectors from Turkey, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany.

Based on fictitious contracts, signed between SA "Metalferos" and the representatives of the non-resident companies, directed and controlled by Plahotniuc, the metals were purchased at a reduced price, and then resold to the final beneficiaries, at a price increased by 27 percent.

For example: only between 2015 and 2017, one of the non-resident companies, controlled by Plahotniuc, would have received in its account from foreign companies about 35 million US dollars, of which only about 27 million dollars were transferred to Metalferos, the difference of money being transferred to the accounts of the companies controlled by Plahotniuc, through the intermediaries.

Two weeks ago, 16 members of the criminal organisation were apprehended as a result of criminal prosecution and special investigative measures.

Most interestingly, all 16 of those appearing in the case had been warned about what was going to happen after the activation of the procedural measures against them, including through leaks in the press of the data on the searches to be carried out, before the courts were to authorise these actions. Moreover, the examination of the prosecutors' requests for search were delayed by the magistrates for THREE DAYS.

The courts of first instance and appeal did not consider the gravity of the offenses at issue, neither the social resonance of the case, nor the circumstances that could lead to obstruct prosecution and the possibility of evading criminal liability. Also, it was not taken into account that previously some of those appearing in the case, albeit arrested, continued their criminal activity.

Consequently, the magistrates rejected the prosecutors’ requests for pre-trial detention of the accused, while the judges' solutions were in contradiction with their own previous positions.

Now all those accused of fraud and money laundering, committed in particularly large proportions and in the interest of a criminal organisation, are under investigation at large.

From operative sources, we know about the insistent attempts of those appearing in the case to influence the prosecutors' investigation. We know that there were also promises to solve their problems with the law.

I assure you, these promises have no grounds. They are FALSE. There are no legal solutions elsewhere. Only close collaboration with the investigation and the contribution to establishing the objective truth will be taken into account when making determinant decisions on the case.

Dear audience,

I noticed one important thing. The repetition of the blockades by the judges every time and in every case in which the interests of the citizen Vladimir Plahotniuc are affected.

The prosecutors do not believe in coincidences.

I have previously reported on the obstacles and blockages faced by prosecutors in arresting (in absentia) Plahotniuc and his property, in obtaining search warrants for the former headquarters of the Democratic Party, or in arresting the individuals involved in the banking fraud.

I can already anticipate the motivation of the judges that the evidence presented by the prosecutors would be weak. It is a sterile pretext to give plausibility to the solutions issued by the courts. It's just that this pretext doesn't hold!

I assure you that all the documentation presented by the prosecutors abounds in evidence and arguments. Likewise, the quality of the procedural documents is in order.

One thing is strange. Until June 2019, we noticed the absolute disinterest of judges towards hundreds of people, who, although they had nothing to do with the criminal world, were illegally arrested, prosecuted and brought to criminal liability.

Should we believe in the solid evidence of the prosecutors of that time?

Looks like the problem is different. Some representatives of the judiciary do not comply with the principle of independence, conferred to them by law, and continue to serve the interests of Plahotniuc's corporation. More precisely, they recall this principle of independence only when they come across a case that bothers the "coordinator" (one of Plahotniuc's nicknames).

I want to be clear.

The last thing I want is a confrontation with the judiciary. By no means do I want to encroach on the independence of judges. But in the created situation, I reserve the right to intervene with the initiative of cardinal changes in the judicial system.

I do not want this to be perceived as blackmail, but in a democratic society, justice must serve the law and society, rather than shadow curators of the groups of interest.

I very much hope to be heard and understood correctly.

The investigation of the theft of the billion, as well as of other cases of resonance, should not be the priority of only the prosecutor’s office, but of all those who contribute to the administration of justice.

Only through joint and sustained efforts and actions, based on law and good faith, will we be able to restore confidence in justice. There is no other way.

Original: http://www.procuratura.md/md/newslst/1211/1/8406/

Update of 3 September 2020

PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE

Briefing of 3 September 2020

Excerpt from Prosecutor General's statement.
Full original is on the Prosecutor General's Office official site.

It should be noted that the new shareholders of the bank were perfectly aware of this fact¹, but nevertheless, they acquired the package of shares, the beneficiary of which was citizen Plahotniuc.

This was not new for the law enforcement agencies, including for the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, which, however, did nothing.

What do you think, what would the explanation be? It's simple: the beneficiary of all transactions was none other than Vladimir Plahotniuc, who had to be protected and exonerated from any legal liability, including and in particular from the criminal one.

Therefore, the public space was regularly "injected" with "doses of lies", creating the appearance of the case’s investigation, while in reality the "red thread" of those responsible for investigating the fraud was mimicking it or, at best, diverting the investigation into wrong path. Mission accomplished brilliantly. For six years!

¹The Prosecutor General refers to the acquisition by Banca Transilvania of 39.2%-package of Victoriabank shares from Vladimir Plahotniuc in January 2018 and their awareness that they were purchasing stolen assets, also previously paid from one billion US dollars stolen from the National Reserves of the National Bank, known in Moldova as the "Heist of the Century".

Full statement by Prosecutor General,

Alexandr Stoianoglo, at the briefing on 3 September 2020

At the beginning of my mandate, I announced that the investigation of the “theft of a billion” is a priority.

During 9 months of the new leadership of the General Prosecutor's Office, we managed to elucidate some aspects, others still follow. One thing, however, is certain – although the investigation of the banking fraud is difficult, the cart has moved and developments are beginning to be recorded in this regard.

I am telling this not to complain or justify the delays in the investigation of certain cases, since these delays were objective. I do it because from the beginning I chose to be frank in communicating with the public and to speak openly about the problems in justice, but especially about what is happening inside the institution I lead.

Thus, when referring to the investigation of banking fraud, our society needs to know that at this stage practically no one is cooperating with the investigation. Those involved in the fraud are still scared. Instead, the structures that stand to immediately oppose to any investigation effort are in full swing. Influences are being exerted on those involved in the investigative process. Those appearing in the case are offered legal support and advice. Even the judiciary is influenced.

We did not hide the fact that we encounter blockages even inside the prosecutor's office. Prosecutors involved in previous cover-ups in this case continue to fulfil their "mission", and to justify their previous actions, they continue to act in detriment of establishing the truth. The data of the criminal investigation are leaked to the press in a controlled manner – all for the benefit and interest of those appearing in the case and those interested in it.

Even in such conditions, the investigation goes on. We move resolutely and do not stop for a moment to collect solid evidence confirming the involvement of specific people in the banking system fraud, and to bring them to justice as soon as possible.

Today, I invited you to officially announce the completion of the criminal investigation in the case regarding the involvement in the “theft of the billion” of a commercial bank, which has been talked about a lot lately. In particular, the 40-volume prosecutors’ indictment regards both the banking institution, as a legal entity accused of money laundering, and the bank’s former CEO, accused of fraud in particularly large proportions and money laundering in the interest of a criminal organisation.

Three weeks ago, at the request of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, the court authorised the seizure of the bank's assets in the amount of 1.9 billion lei, namely: 54 cars, 24 buildings and 4 trucks - in the amount of 58 million lei, and 114 state securities in the amount of 1.85 billion lei. By applying the seizure, the prosecutors seek the compensation for damage caused by the crimes committed, with their possible special confiscation in favour of the state. We remark that the applied seizures will not influence the daily activity of the banking institution.

As for the bank’s former CEO, she is being investigated at large since March this year, when the magistrates rejected the prosecutors' requests for the preventive arrest of the accused.

Those appearing in the case were informed about the finalisation of the criminal investigation. At this stage, the parties get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case, which the prosecutors will shortly refer to the court.

We have noticed speculations about "movements against foreign investors", about the criminal investigation of the bank’s shareholders, or about "Platon's hand" in this entire investigation. I tried to detect the aim of these speculations and I am wondering what is the purpose and the degree of responsibility of those who launched them. Actions that can only generate uncertainty, destabilisation and a long-term distrust of the investigation.

It is a pity that among the multitude of voices, no one addressed another aspect, the most important one, namely the fact that the state of the Republic of Moldova and its citizens were defrauded by a billion dollars, while the Prosecutor's Office must justify why it exists. The role of prosecutors is to objectively investigate the case, to bring to justice all those involved in the criminal scheme, so that the state and the affected citizens are restored to their rights by recovering the stolen money from the perpetrators.

Some voices accused us of not acting transparently and of not providing the public with all the information. It's not true and you all know it well. Moreover, the Parliament, the Presidency, the Government and other authorities were informed in detail about the progress of the investigation and the issues we faced.

First of all, not all the information can be made public, based on the interest and confidentiality of the criminal investigation, but also because of the sensitivity of the subject – values guaranteed by both national and international legislation.

We do not execute orders and we have no connection with the shareholders or investors of this bank. The prosecutor's office is investigating the activity of the then banking institution and its managers, who are allegedly involved in the theft of 2.3 billion lei from public money.

As early as 2014, the entire financial and banking community and, last but not least, the former and current management of the National Bank of Moldova (NBM), as well as other central public authorities, including the Parliament, the Government and the Presidency, learned about this [crime].

I confidently conclude that it was precisely due to the former management of the NBM that the "embezzlement of a billion" was possible to perpetrate. Most of them have been charged and we will assess the results of the criminal investigation against them in the near future.

Now, we act based on reality and on the fact that the Republic of Moldova is the state whose interests we are obliged to protect. Otherwise, we risk turning into a "banana republic" in which only the "law of the jungle" will dictate.

As for those who deliberately spread false information, it is no secret that either they took part in the theft of the billion, or they continue to work for the perpetrators.

Let me remind you of the case story, so as not to forget the debauchery of the banking system and the blatant lawlessness of the state institutions:

13 November 2014 – The Government of the Republic of Moldova decides that all interbank loans, which at that time amounted to 222 million lei, should be recovered from financial institutions.

17 November 2014 – The Ministry of Finance provides a state guarantee for the recovery of money. After the decisions have been approved, one of the banks whose shareholder is a company affiliated to Plahotniuc, in an emergency mode, within 5 days, transfers about 2.3 billion lei to a bankrupt bank, Banca de Economii.

In reality, however, only 1.2 billion lei are transferred to Banca de Economii, the outstanding debt being generated by the "carousel" method of fictitious interbank placements. That is, the transfer of the amounts to the accounts of other companies, which in turn placed them back to Banca de Economii.

All those actions took place in flagrant violation of the legislation, in the absence of financial justification and not without the involvement of the National Bank. All real financial placements to Banca de Economii were immediately transferred to the accounts of offshore companies and further stolen.

And now the essential – already on 28 November 2014, the National Bank returns about 2.3 billion lei into the accounts of the commercial bank, which were earlier placed to Banca de Economii.

It should be noted that the new shareholders of the bank were perfectly aware of this, but nevertheless they acquired the package of shares, the beneficiary of which was citizen Plahotniuc.

This was not new for the law enforcement agencies, including for the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, which, however, did nothing.

What do you think, what would the explanation be? It's simple: the beneficiary of all transactions was none other than Vladimir Plahotniuc, who had to be protected and exonerated from any legal liability, including and in particular from the criminal one.

Therefore, the public space was regularly "injected" with "doses of lies", creating the appearance of the case’s investigation, while in reality the "red thread" of those responsible for investigating the fraud was mimicking it or, at best, diverting the investigation into wrong path. Mission accomplished brilliantly. For six years!

Even now we see the attempts to distract the public's attention every time we come out with important details concerning the "banking fraud" case. Attempts to fill the information space with topics that would shift the accents, so as to minimise the impact of news that threatens the image of the real beneficiaries of the theft of the billion. I repeat, the Prosecutor's Office does not believe in coincidences.

Those who believe that the actions of the prosecutor's office have affected the interests of the bank's new shareholders should clarify it with the bank’s managers who negotiated the purchase of the toxic package of shares and to share this information with the prosecutor's office, even if it is not in their interest. I leave it to the discretion of society now to draw conclusions: whose interests the prosecutor's office and the General Prosecutor are defending.

I am committed to serving the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and to doing everything in my power to ensure that these principles are followed by the entire prosecutor's office. You should know that we will continue to do our duty and we will persevere in investigations, whether convenient or not.

Finally, I emphasise that the measures taken by prosecutors in no way infringe the principle of the presumption of innocence of the accused natural or legal persons.

Update of 26 February 2021

The speech of the General Prosecutor, Alexandr Stoianoglo,
at the totalisation of the activity of the Prosecutor's Office for 2020

Prosecutor General' Office, 26 February 2021

It is no secret that previously the Prosecutor's Office has been used as a political club (cudgel) mounting cases on the conveyor belt against all the undesirables: political opponents, journalists, activists, local public administration, etc. This "legacy" still haunts us today, because both the prosecutor's office and the courts are still hanling many such cases that remain unresolved, with which we will gradually clarify and restore the rights of the unjustly prosecuted.

Now we reached the stage where the judges annul the prosecutors' ordinances to commence criminal investigations or put persons under accusation; these judges force us to close the cases and, as an extreme arbitrariness, they annul ordinances to disjoin cases and thereby bar their referral to court. All these actions display a direct interference in the activity of the Prosecutor's Office and of the criminal investigation body in order to obstruct the investigation, and not in any case, but only in those related to the interests of specific persons: Plahotniuc, Shor and their entourage.

✎ Full statement here.

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