The chances of the fugitive oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuk to be extradited to Moldova increased after the U.S. federal court rejected his claim for political asylum.
This is reported by Radio Liberty.
Plahotniuc tried to challenge in New York court the decision of the U.S. authorities to cancel the oligarch’s visa. Thus, neither Plahotniuc, nor his relatives can get the right to stay in the United States.
In court, the oligarch argued that the ban deprives him of “due process in asylum proceedings and thus puts his life and freedom in serious danger”. The fact is that in May, Moldovan law enforcement officers had already charged Plahotniuc with embezzling money. A request for his extradition is now pending.
As reported earlier by News Front, Vladimir Plahotniuc has long represented the U.S. interests in Moldova, while building his own criminal empire. When, following the results of the 2019 parliamentary elections, the Party of Socialists united with the pro-Western bloc ACUM, forming a majority in the legislative body, Plahotniuc refused to recognize the alliance. Being the head of the Democratic Party, he tried to usurp the power in the country. The situation was settled with the assistance of Russia, the European Union and the USA, after which Plahotniuc hastily left Moldova and took refuge in the USA for a long time.