Former notary Olga Bondarciuc, who was involved in the authentication of several documents concerning the affairs of fugitives Vladimir Plahotniuc, Ilan Shor and Veaceslav Platon, and who allegedly provided notary services for the former socialist president of Moldova Igor Dodon, was released from pre-trial detention in solitary confinement and placed under house arrest for 30 days, according to a decision of the Chisinau Ciocana court, the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) announced.

In a press release, PCCOCS states that it considers this change of preventive measure unfounded and announces that the decision of the Chisinau Ciocana Court will be challenged.

“The PCCOCS prosecutors, however, consider unfounded this change in the preventive measure, which is likely to impede the progress of investigations in the criminal case they are handling. The investigative authority recalls that the person previously accused has evaded from appearing before the prosecution body, leaving Moldova, being announced for international search and then extradited.

Moreover, the court ignored the fact that the offences in question were committed in the interest of a criminal organization, having a connection with other criminal offences, which are currently being investigated through complex investigations, and that the person under investigation is also the defendant in another criminal case which is being prosecuted by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, generically called “Bank Fraud””, PCCOCS announces.

Therefore, PCCOCS prosecutors are going to appeal to the Chisinau Court of Appeal the decision to release the person from pre-trial detention and place him under house arrest.

Olga Bondarciuc, a former notary involved in the authentication of several contracts issued by companies affiliated to Platon, Shor and Plahotniuc, was placed under preventive arrest for 30 days on 15 July 2022.

According to the PCCOCS, the charges brought relate to certain criminal acts committed during the time she was working as a notary.

Specifically, prosecutors charge her with knowingly committing actions that ensured the translation and legalization of the documents necessary for the elements of the scheme generically referred to as “bank fraud”; offences of forgery of public documents; filing false statements with the investigating authority, including by concealing from law enforcement officials notarial actions regarding some non-resident companies of the “criminal organization”, through which the money from the “bank fraud” was allegedly laundered.

Prosecutors also say Bondarciuc artificially created incriminating evidence by forging notarial documents.

On September 28, 2021, the Moldovan police announce that Olga Bondarciuc, who is wanted internationally, has been detained in Belgium. Subsequently, in early December 2021, Bondarciuc applied for political asylum in Belgium.

On 18 February this year, Ziarul de Gardă reported that notary Olga Bondarciuc had also provided notarial services for former Moldovan President Igor Dodon. According to documents in ZdG’s possession, namely a register of notarial acts, in which Bondarciuc is listed as a notary public, in 2013, she would have officialized several acts at the request of Igor Dodon, former president of Moldova.

Olga Bondarciuc was targeted in the Kroll 2 report as one of the shareholders of Unibank after borrowing millions of lei. Bondarciuc came to public attention after authenticating several contracts issued by firms affiliated to Vladimir Plahotniuc, Ilan Shor and Veaceslav Platon. Bondarciuc previously worked in the Global Business Center (GBC) building, which was owned by Vladimir Plahotniuc.

On June 2, 2020, the notary said that she had been threatened to sign several documents prepared by Platon’s lawyers stating that she had issued documents at the request of former PDM leader Vladimir Plahotniuc against controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon. Bondarciuc stressed at the time that all the acts he issued were “in accordance with the law”.

Also in June 2020, controversial businessman Veaceslav Platon accused Bondarciuc of forging several documents by which he was sentenced to prison.