The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office informs that on June 24, 2022, following the admission of the anti-corruption prosecutors requests and with the authorization of the court, it was ordered the seizure of the financial means in the amount of 268 054 638.19 lei held both by property and through third parties by the accused V.P. in the criminal case generically called "Laundromat".

The seizure of the funds was carried out with the help of the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) of the National Anticorruption Center(NAC).

We mention that the criminal case referred to above was initiated by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, according to a reasonable suspicion of committing money laundering offenses (art. 243, paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code), abuse of office (art. 335, paragraph (1¹) of the Criminal Code) and the making, possession, sale or use of official documents, printed matter, stamps or false seals (art. 361 paragraph (2) of the Criminal Code).

According to the circumstances of the investigated case, the anti-corruption prosecutors found that, in the period 2010-2014, V. P. set up and led a criminal organization consisting of several distinct organized criminal groups, operating in the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, as well as other states.

In this regard, this criminal organization has established a transnational money laundering scheme, carried out through a financial institution in the Republic of Moldova, controlled by the head of the criminal organization, as well as through banking institutions in the Russian Federation, the Republic of Latvia, controlled and managed both directly and indirectly by members of the organized criminal group, including citizens of the Russian Federation and a financial institution in the Republic of Latvia.

Therefore, under the pretext of the execution of multiple illegal court orders and bailiffs' decisions, the transfer and conversion of financial means of dubious origin from the Russian Federation, in the total amount of USD 22,013,152,654.62 (US dollars), was carried out violating the legislation of both the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation.

Subsequently, the financial means indicated above were converted and transferred to the accounts of non-resident companies opened both within the financial institutions of the Republic of Moldova and in the Republic of Latvia, managed by the head of the criminal organization V. P.

At the same time, we inform that at the moment the criminal investigation on this case is active, a complex of criminal prosecution actions being undertaken in order to establish all the circumstances of the case, that would conduct to a complete and objective criminal investigation and criminal liability of all persons involved in the committing of the offenses.

The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office will inform the public opinion about further undertaken actions and the solution adopted on the case.

Note: Any defendant in a criminal trial is assumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty.

Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office