The US added Plahotniuc to the Sanctions List
The Statement of the US Department of the Treasury of 26 October 2022
 | The following individuals have been added to OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) SDN (Specially Designated Nationals) List: PLAHOTNIUC, Vladimir, Cyprus; DOB 01 Jan 1966; POB Moldova; nationality Moldova; alt. nationality Romania; Gender Male; Passport AA1203658 (Moldova); alt. Passport 054038242 (Romania); National Foreign ID Number 0962706018030 (Moldova) (individual) [GLOMAG]. |
Press Release of the US Department of the Treasury of 26 October 2022
Treasury Targets Corruption and the Kremlin’s Malign Influence Operations in Moldova,[...] The designations include former Moldovan government official Vladimir Plahotniuc, who engaged in state capture by exerting control over and manipulating key sectors of Moldova’s government, including the law enforcement, electoral, and judicial sectors. [...]
ACTS OF CORRUPTION
OFAC is designating former Moldovan government official Vladimir Plahotniuc (Plahotniuc), a former Moldovan Member of Parliament who served as both de facto leader and elected chair of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM).Plahotniuc maintained control over the country’s law enforcement apparatus to target political and business rivals. Specifically, Plahotniuc directed Moldovan law enforcement to focus investigations on individuals and entities that were in political opposition to him and the PDM in advance of elections in 2018.
Plahotniuc also used Moldovan government officials as intermediaries to bribe law enforcement officials in order to maintain their loyalty and further cement his control over Moldova. In 2018, Plahotniuc ordered Moldovan government ministers to pass and implement proposals to increase financial incentives to law enforcement, to further buy their allegiance.
Plahotniuc controlled the judicial system and used Moldovan courts to manipulate and invalidate the June 2018 mayoral election in Chisinau. In a separate occurrence, Plahotniuc closed voting stations in areas where his party was not expected to do well.
Plahotniuc also maintained control of key media outlets, further enabling his influence and ability to exert leverage over the government to target his opponents and protect himself and his allies.
Plahotniuc explicitly engaged in corrupt arrangements with Moldovan government officials. For example, Plahotniuc arranged for the relative of a high-ranking Moldovan government official to obtain a key business position, in exchange for the official’s support in appointing a Moldovan energy entity of Plahotniuc’s choosing. Plahotniuc also attempted to bribe Moldovan politicians to switch political parties.
OFAC is designating Plahotniuc pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a former government official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery. The State Department imposed visa restrictions on Plahotniuc in January 2020 under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for his involvement in significant corruption. Plahotniuc and his immediate family members are generally ineligible for visas to the United States.
Radio Free Europe: U.S. Targets Moldovans, Russians For Sanctions Over Alleged Political Interference In Moldova
Those designated by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) include the oligarch and former lawmaker Vladimir Plahotniuc, who the U.S. says exerted control over and manipulated key sectors of Moldova’s government.Plahotniuc, a former Moldovan deputy who has been linked to the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014, maintained control over the country’s law enforcement apparatus to target political and business rivals, according to the Treasury Department.
Plahotniuc, who fled the country in 2019, also used Moldovan government officials as intermediaries to bribe law enforcement officials, used his control of the judicial system to manipulate the June 2018 mayoral election in Chisinau, and maintained control of key media outlets, the department said.
The U.S. State Department has already banned Plahotniuc and his family from obtaining visas to enter the United States.
Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, 26.10.2022:
We are designating Vladimir Plahotniuc, Ilan Shor, and 19 other individuals and entities related to systemic corruption and Kremlin-linked election interference in Moldova. The United States will continue to support Moldova’s democracy and its fight against corruption.
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