Moldovan Oligarch Plahotniuc Reportedly Requests Extradition After Arrest in Greece

Former leader of Moldova’s Democratic Party, Moldovan Oligarch Plahotniu, has officially requested unconditional extradition to Moldova following his arrest in Greece, his lawyer announced, Orda.kz reports, citing Point.

Just days earlier, the same lawyer had stated that Plahotniuc was refusing extradition, The Insider reports.

Plahotniuc was detained at Athens International Airport on July 22 alongside businessman Constantin Ţuţu while preparing to fly to Dubai. INTERPOL confirmed the arrest.

A former Moldovan MP and one of the country’s wealthiest individuals, Plahotniuc is wanted internationally for his alleged role in the so-called "Russian Laundromat" — a massive money laundering scheme involving over $20 billion funneled through banks in Russia, Moldova, and the Baltics.

Moldovan authorities have issued arrest warrants for him in connection with three criminal cases.

Plahotniuc fled Moldova in June 2019 and spent time in the United States before his presence there was declared undesirable in January 2020.

Russian authorities also opened a related case, naming Plahotniuc as a figure of interest and Moldovan billionaire Veaceslav Platon as the main defendant.

Russian prosecutors argue the scheme constituted theft rather than laundering and claim that falsified documents were used to bypass currency control mechanisms. On July 25, Russia sentenced Platon in absentia to 24 years in a high-security penal colony. No verdict has yet been announced in Plahotniuc’s case.

For years, Plahotniuc wielded significant political power in Moldova, reportedly controlling key law enforcement and judicial institutions. Former officials, including Ion Sturza and Mihai Ghimpu, have spoken publicly about his influence.