Clarifications on the disappearance of evidence from a case involving Veaceslav Platon

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) rejects “any accusation of involvement in the disappearance of CDs” with video and audio recordings from the criminal case of Veaceslav Platon, pending before the Buiucani Court of Chisinau. At the same time, the institution has come up with clarifications on the criminal case of attempted fraud in particularly large proportions and active corruption.

“His claims that the information contained on the electronic devices is false do not correspond to reality and are a way of defending and denigrating the image of the Prosecutor’s Office, or, previously the courts have recognized the evidence in question as relevant and conclusive in confirming the guilt brought against Veaceslav Platon,” the PA communicates.

At the court hearing on 2 May 2023, the court established the absence of CDs on which video and audio images were recorded which would prove, according to the PA, Platon’s guilt of committing the crime of active corruption.

“The material means of evidence referred to were transmitted to the court with the transmission of the case for examination of the merits, i.e. their preservation does not fall within the competence of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. In order not to delay the criminal trial, at the hearing on 2 May, the state prosecutor requested the court to submit further evidence until the missing evidence was identified. Measures are currently being taken to determine the location of the evidence”, according to the source.

On 20 May 2017, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office sent to trial the criminal case in which Veaceslav Platon and two other defendants are accused of committing the crime of attempted swindling in particularly large proportions. According to the materials, Platon, being also the manager of the majority of shares of the insurance companies S.A. “AsitoKapital”- Romania, S.A. ,,Moldasig” and S.A. ,,Alliance Insurance Group”, held through third parties, in the period September – December 2016, allegedly organized and directed the commission of the crime of fraudulent evasion in particularly large proportions, of the assets of the mentioned entity, involving in the commission of the criminal act other persons as perpetrators.

On 30 June 2017, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office sent to trial another criminal case concerning the offence of active bribery by Platon. He had discussions with public persons from the Special Assignment Detachment ,,Pantera” of the DIP of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, who provided his security and escort to the courts, promising them apartments in mun. Chisinau, a car of their own choice, or financial means in the amount of 5,000 euros, for superficial body checks, permission for certain prohibited actions in meetings between Platon and lawyers, including facilitating access to a mobile phone. The two cases have been joined in a single proceeding.

By a judgment of the Chisinau Court, Buiucani office, of 12 December 2017, Platon was found guilty of committing the offences of fraud and active bribery, and a final sentence was imposed on him for concurrence of offences, with total accumulation of penalties in the form of imprisonment for a term of 12 years, with the execution of the sentence in a closed prison, with a fine of 300,000 lei, as well as an additional penalty in the form of deprivation of the right to hold office or exercise a certain economic activity for a period of 3 years.

By decision of the Criminal College of the Chisinau Court of Appeal of 14 December 2018, the appeal court overturned the sentence, in part of the sentence of Platon, establishing his final sentence in the form of imprisonment for a term of 25 years, with execution of the sentence in a closed penitentiary, with a fine in the amount of 300 000 lei, with deprivation of the right to hold positions in legal entities, in the banking system and to exercise entrepreneurial activities for a term of 5 years.

Subsequently, by decision of the Supreme Court of Justice of 29 October 2019, the decision of the Chisinau Court of Appeal of 14 December 2018 was totally overturned, and the case was ordered to be retried by the same court of appeal, in another panel. In such circumstances, by decision of the Chisinau Court of Appeal of 30 January 2020, the case was ordered to be retried by the Chisinau Court of Appeal, Buiucani seat, in another panel.

During the criminal trial, Platon evaded appearing in court, so that, at the request of the state prosecutor, on 12 August 2021, the court ordered the application of the preventive measure – preventive arrest (in absentia) and his search notice.

Currently, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is representing the state prosecution in three criminal cases on several counts against Veaceslav Platon. Mr Platon is also the subject of other criminal cases at the prosecution stage.