Magistrates issue warrant of arrest on former leader of Moldovan Democratic Party

Chisinau, 5 July /MOLDPRES/ - The magistrates of the Chisinau Court, Ciocana headquarters, today issued a warrant of arrest for 30 days against the former leader of the Moldovan Democratic Party (PDM), Vlad Plahotniuc, in the criminal file Metalferos – a stock company within which the state has the controlling stake.   
The spokesperson of the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG), Marian Cherpec, has confirmed the information for Moldpres.   
The Metalferos file regards a crime ring, the leader of which signed contracts on purchasing ferrous and nonferrous metals, with the complicity of the enterprise’s director, from companies which also he managed through intermediaries. More money was paid to the fictitious entities, against other economic agents and the money reached accounts of other companies.    
The iron was bought from residents at a low price and a higher price was indicated on the contracts signed, presented at the bank. The difference was withdrawn in cash from accounts of the companies involved in the scheme and the damages inflicted amounted to more than 700 million lei (about 35 million euros). Through this scheme, the state-controlled company Metalferos was embezzled of 736.5 million lei.    
In 2020, Vladimir Plahotniuc had right of signature or would have been beneficiary at least at three companies which had gained, directly or indirectly, tens of millions of dollars following the signing of contracts with Metalferos.