Moldova Lifts Immunity of Deputies linked to Fugitive Oligarch

Moldovan deputies taking a vote in the Parliament, Photo: EPA/Doru Dumitru

General Prosecutor Alexandr Stoianoglo earlier on Monday said approval of the lifting of immunity was needed "to detain, search for, arrest and prosecute the deputy". Jardan was promptly detained for 72 hours right after the session ended.

Later that evening, 70 deputies voted also to lift the immunity of another Shor Party MP, Denis Ulanov.

The party is led by the now fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, the suspected mastermind behind the so-called grand theft of a billion US dollars from the Moldovan banking system between 2012 and 2014.

Prosecutors say they suspect Jardan of office of abuse related to the concession for Chisinau International Airport in August 2013.

The government in August 2013 ceded management of the airport for 49 years to Avia Invest, a company controlled by Shor. A contract was signed on August 30, 2013, only 28 days after Avia Invest was founded, on August 2, 2013.

Concerning Ulanov, prosecutors claim to have conclusive evidence of his involvement in the "grand theft" from the banking system.

According to the general prosecutor, he offered legal services to a company that traded 38 per cent of Victoriabank, which belonged then to a businessman, Veaceslav Platon. The beneficiaries were the now fugitive oligarchs, Vlad Plahotniuc and Shor.

According to the prosecutor general, the money for the transaction came from the "grand theft". The autumn 2014 transaction took place almost simultaneously with "the grand theft".

Ulanov has denied the allegations, saying there was no evidence against him and that he had done nothing but exercise his legal duties.

Political analyst Ion Tabarta told Radio Chisinau he applauded...