CHISINAU, April 22 (Reuters) - A Moldovan court sentenced business magnate and former political powerbroker Vladimir Plahotniuc to 19 years in prison on Wednesday in a fraud case involving the theft of $1 billion from the country's banking sector.
Plahotniuc, who was not present in the courtroom, has previously denied wrongdoing. He says he is innocent, describing the trial against him as a political retaliation.
Plahotniuc's lawyer called the court's verdict illegal and said the procedure was rushed. The decision can be appealed within the next 15 days.
Plahotniuc was the leader of Moldova's Democratic Party from 2016 to 2019, part of the governing coalition at the time, and served as deputy speaker of parliament. While in office, he wielded great influence over the police, judiciary and courts.
'THEFT OF THE CENTURY'
Plahotniuc, 60, considered one of Moldova's richest men, has long been one of the chief suspects in a case involving the theft of $1 billion from three of the largest Moldovan banks from 2014 to 2015.
Known locally as the "theft of the century", the scandal saw the sum amounting to 12% of Moldova's GDP at the time siphoned overseas through dubious loans, asset swaps and shareholder deals.
He was personally accused of receiving $39 million and 3.5 million euros ($4.1 million) from the three banks.
The prosecutor's office has said it has data showing that Plahotniuc used the funds siphoned off from the banks for personal gain -- the purchase of an Embraer Legacy 650 aircraft, the acquisition of property, paying for legal, medical, and tourism services, and business investments.
The case has continued to reverberate in Moldova's politics more than a decade after the events.
It triggered street protests, while the International Monetary Fund and the European Union froze aid. The aftermath also saw a former primeminister jailed and a central bank chief dismissed.
ARRESTED IN ATHENS
Plahotniuc fled Moldova in 2019 after his Democratic Party lost an election to an opposition coalition, including current President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS).
He was charged with involvement in the theft in 2020 and arrested at Athens airport in July last year after boarding a plane to Dubai.
Greek police said that since 2023, Plahotniuc has lived in 22 countries, changing residence regularly to avoid detection.
He was extradited to Moldova in September 2025 and has been in pre-trial detention.
In 2023, the European Union imposed sanctions on seven people from Moldova, including Plahotniuc, for actions that it said destabilised and undermined the territorial integrity of Moldova and neighbouring Ukraine.
($1 = 0.8519 euros)
(Reporting by Alexander Tanas, writing by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Keith Weir)
