Moldovan ex-PM Vlad Filat on remand for alleged mega defrauding case

Former Moldovan prime minister Vlad Filat has been taken into custody on Thursday evening, soon after the Parliament in Chisinau stripped him of the parliamentary immunity so that he could be detained for his alleged involvement in defrauding the Savings Bank based in Republic of Moldova, Moldova.org reported.

The prosecutors of the National Anti-corruption Center came to the headquarters of the Liberal-Democrat Party (PLDM) that Filat is running and at his private residence to conduct several searches in the same case, Unimedia informs.

After the MPs voted for his immunity lifting,  hundreds of pro-Russian parties’ members and followers staged a protest in front of the Parliament building in  Chisinau, blocking the entrances so that they could prevent Vlad Filat from living.

Representatives of the Socialists Party and of Our Party  had marched on the Moldovan Capital’s streets on Thursday morning, calling for the current rulers’ resignation and for the restitution of the one billion euro stolen from the Moldovan banks.

R. Moldova’s Prosecutor General, Corneliu Gurin himself attended the Parliament’s sitting, asking lawmakers to strip Filat of his immunity to be investigated in this file, arguing the former premier is directly involved in the frauds at the Savings Bank.

“We have conclusive evidence about Filat’s involvment in committing the frauds, with the prejudice being estimated to hundreds of millions of euros. It’s an extremely serious crime, and he is also involved in destroying the evidence,” Gurin argued.

The PLDM chair is charged with taking USD 60m from Dufremol manager, Ilan Shor, during his premier term. Filat would have received the money in order to stop some checking conducted on the oil company, to name Shor honorary consul to the Russian Federation, but also to give his OK regarding oil sales.

Investigators also accuse Filat of pretending goods and money worth over USD 190m from Shor to make public servants from the Government and other state institutions decide and adopt laws needed to enable an extra share emissions from the Moldovan Savings Bank.

Previously in the day, Filat defended himself in Parliament, saying he has been having information for quite sometime that such “a scenario is awaiting” him. The former prime minister accused pro-Russian leader Renato Usatii, Moldovan oligarch and politician Vladimir Plahotniuc and communist leader Vladimir Voronin (ex-president of the republic) that had orchestrated this case against him. “Plahotniuc has a deal with pro-Russian leader of Our Party, Renato Usatii and with the communist leader Vladimir Voronin to trigger early elections in order to prevent the European path of the Republic of Moldova,” Filat said.

He expressed hope his trial will be a equitable one and he’ll prove his innocence.