Former Democratic deputy Vladimir Andronachi, considered close to former PDM leader Vladimir Plahotniuc was announced as an international wanted person by INTERPOL on Friday July 8. He is targeted in the “Metalferos” and “Bank Fraud” cases. Prosecutor Mariana Cherpec, in charge of communications at the General Prosecutor’s Office (PG) says that Andronachi has been placed under international investigation, but the institution has not yet been officially informed.

The lawmen mention that on September 23, 2021, based on the request of the National Anti-Corruption Center, the International Police Cooperation Directorate of the General Patrol Inspectorate (IGP) requested that Vladimir Andronachi be put in international search by INTERPOL for arrest and extradition, according to the court warrant of September 21, 2021, issued by the Ciocana court in Chișinău. Vladimir Andronachi is suspected of money laundering in the “Metalferos” case. The former democrat is also under criminal investigation in the “bank fraud” case.

Ziarul de Gardă previously wrote that Vladimir Plahotniuc, the former chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova, who is wanted by the Chișinău law enforcement authorities, had the right to sign or was a beneficiary of at least three companies that have benefited in recent years, directly or indirectly, tens of millions of dollars from contracts with Metalferos, a joint-stock company in which the state holds a majority stake. The name of Vladimir Andronachi, considered close to the former leader of the PDM, also appears here.

Details of the “Metalferos” case

On February 7, 2022, the Prosecutor General’s Office sent to court a criminal case disjoined from the file generically called “Metalferos”.

In the case sent for trial, the status of defendants has been assigned to eight persons, who are accused of committing the following offences: creation and management of an organised criminal group, fraud committed in particularly large proportions and money laundering committed by an organised criminal group and in particularly large proportions. According to the indictment, during 2018-2019, the head of the organized criminal group in complicity with the then director of SA “Metalferos”, accepted the implementation of the criminal plan developed by the head of the criminal organization and signed contracts for the purchase of metals by SA “Metalferos” directly from the economic agents administered and managed, directly or through the intermediaries of the leader of the organised criminal group, who were deliberately offered a substantially lower price than the other economic agents with whom Metalferos SA also signed contracts for the supply of metals directly.

According to the prosecutors, on the basis of the signed contracts, on the bank accounts of the economic agents managed through intermediaries and/or directly by the head of the organised criminal group, SA “Metalferos” transferred money at different periods of time, purchasing ferrous and non-ferrous metal from these entities. From the sums received from SA “Metalferos” into the accounts of the economic agents managed by the same leader of the organised criminal group, on the basis of the contracts concluded, he organised money transfers to the accounts of other economic agents managed through intermediaries also managed by him, with the aim of creating the appearance of legality, in particular of profitability of the activity of the economic agents managed, with an insignificant difference between the money received from SA “Metalferos” and the money transferred for the purchase of ferrous metals.

Continuing to achieve the determined criminal purpose, the leader of the organized criminal group, knowing with certainty that the real price of the ferrous metals from the population – individuals – is much lower, given that the enterprises he managed through intermediaries had areas specifically designed for the collection of metals, through persons instigated by him, as well as other persons at the time unidentified by the prosecution, organised and ensured the submission to commercial banks of purchase documents with obviously distorted data on the price of ferrous metal, with the subsequent withdrawal of the funds from the accounts of the controlled economic agents at the increased cash price. Subsequently, after collecting these funds, the members of the organised criminal group, acting on the instructions of the leader of the group, passed them on to the leader in unspecified circumstances of time and place.

From the money received from the members of the organized criminal group, carrying out the tasks established by the leader of the criminal association, the leader of this organized criminal group, through the persons at the time not determined by the prosecution, distributed the acquired funds for ferrous and non-ferrous metals to the persons responsible for purchasing them from the population, and the remaining illegally acquired funds, in the circumstances of time and place not determined, divided them with the leaders and the leader of the criminal organization.

Consequently, as a result of the criminal schemes implemented, SA “Metalferos” was caused a large damage, in the amount of 736 511 551.56 lei (over 38.2 mln EURO).

The PG officials also mention that criminal proceedings are continuing against the other four organized criminal groups, including the leader of the criminal organization. At the moment, prosecutors are taking all necessary measures to identify all the individuals involved, administer evidence and, where appropriate, seize criminal assets with a view to ensuring their confiscation. The legal authorities maintain that a person accused of committing a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.