Moldova seeks Swiss help investigating controversial tycoon
Between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova became an independent republic following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Keystone
Moldova has sent the Swiss authorities a request for mutual legal assistance in connection to an investigation focused on tycoon Vlad Plahotniuc.
This content was published on
1 minute
SDA-Keystone-swissinfo.ch/ds
The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) received the request on August 26, according to the weekly NZZ am Sonntag and Swiss news agency SDA-Keystone.
The request was forwarded to the public prosecutor’s office of Zurich, Switzerland’s leading financial hub.
The FOJ did not provide details about the request. However, according to the German-language newspaper, it cannot be ruled out that the Moldovan Public Prosecutor’s Office requests that Plahotniuc’s funds deposited in Zurich banks be frozen. The Moldovan tycoon also owns a villa in Collonge-Bellerive in the canton of Geneva.
The controversial oligarch, 53, was the most powerful and richest man in one of Europe’s poorest countries. On the run since June, Plahotniuc denies using political influence for personal gain.
The Moldovan Public Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating him since a change of government last February. More than $1 billion (CHF1 billion) disappeared from Moldova’s state-owned banks in 2014.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Switzerland launches national digital inclusion alliance
This content was published on
The Swiss government launched the Swiss Digital Inclusion Alliance on Thursday with the goal of giving as many people as possible access to digital services.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss diplomats placed request for tobacco firm in Moldova
This content was published on
Swiss officials lodged a request on behalf of Philip Morris in Moldova, where politicians were debating a new tobacco law.
Campaign funding still a taboo topic in Switzerland
This content was published on
swissinfo.ch sheds light on the tradition of Swiss secrecy on funding of political parties and candidates during elections.
Guinea mining corruption affair to go to trial in Geneva
This content was published on
Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz is to stand trial along with two associates for the alleged payment of bribes in Guinea between 2005 and 2010.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.