Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office

The Chisinau Court of Appeal ruled in a decision issued on Monday evening that fugitive Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc must stand trial in his absence in the 'Grand Theft' case of $1 billion from the Moldovan banking system between 2012 and 2014.

The director of Moldova's National Anti-Corruption Centre, Iulian Rusu, announced on Monday evening the seizure of oligarch Ilan Shor's assets in the country.

"The seizures applied by the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency reached the amount of 1.5 billion lei [about 75 million euros]. These are properties from Moldova," Rusu told TV8.

A former Democratic Party deputy, Constantin Tutu, surrendered to Moldovan law enforcement agencies on Friday at the Albita-Leuseni border crossing point with Romania, wearing medical gloves and a protective mask when taken into custody.

Moldova's General Prosecutor's Office told news website deschide.md on Monday evening that German Gorbuntsov is being investigated in at least three criminal cases by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.

After returning to Moldova on November 30 following a six-year absence, Gorbutsov was first questioned by prosecutors about an attempt to assassinate him in London in March 2012.