The controversial businessman, Veaceslav Platon, sentenced in 2017 to 18 years in prison for allegedly obtaining through illegal schemes about 1 billion lei (47 million euros) from Banca de Economii will be acquitted in the billion-dollar bank fraud case.

The prosecutors requested to wave all charges against the former deputy, Veaceslav Platon. The final decision in this regard could be pronounced on Monday, June 14. Prosecutor Elena Ceruța, who manages the case, told Ziarul de Gardă that she requested in court to keep for one month the seizure applied in the bank fraud case, in 2017, on Veaceslav Platon’s assets, amounting to 869.22 million lei.

“During the meeting, I read the waiver order. I requested that the seizure be kept for one month after the decision of the court became final. (…) The last decision in the case is planned for June 14,” Elena Ceruța declared for Ziarul de Gardă.

Veaceslav Platon’s defenders, who demanded the total acquittal of the businessman, told Ziarul de Gardă that the court should apply seizure on the assets belonging to the former Democratic Party leader, Vladimir Plahotniuc.

“After the assets belonging to the Veaceaslav Platon will be seized, the court should apply seizures on the assets of the former Democratic Party leader, Vladimir Plahotniuc.”

On May 28, the General Prosecutor’s Office announced that prosecutors had dropped the charges against businessman Veaceslav Platon in the bank fraud case, and the Prosecutor’s Office confirmed this, stating that “on the grounds that the act was not committed by to Veaceslav Platon, the prosecutors came to the conclusion of dropping the accusation brought against him.”

Following the announcement of the Prosecutor’s Office, President Maia Sandu stated that:

“It is extremely worrying how quickly the Prosecutor’s Office dropped charges against this group and will analyze the prosecutor’s order to see the legality and validity underlying this decision.”

In 2017, the magistrates of the Chișinău Court ordered the collection for the benefit of the Banca de Economii 869 million lei from the controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon. On December 7, 2020, the magistrates from the Chișinău Court decided the retrial of Veaceslav Platon’s case on the General Prosecutor’s Office request. Veaceslav Platon was released from prison on June 15, 2020, after the Chișinău Court fully admitted the request of the General Prosecutor, Alexandr Stoianoglo, to suspend the execution of Platon’s sentence.

Prosecutors Wave the Accusations Against the Controversial Businessman Veaceslav Platon in the Billion-Dollar Bank Fraud Case