Moldova has launched criminal proceedings in a money laundering case involving its biggest bank, the Russian mafia and six EU countries.
The move comes after a UK-based investment firm, Hermitage Capital, filed a complaint with the Moldovan prosecutor in June.
Documents obtained by Hermitage indicate that a Russian organised crime group – dubbed the Kluyev Group – in 2008 wired $53 million of stolen money from an account in Russia’s Bank Krainiy Sever to two accounts in Moldova’s Banca de Economii.
They also indicate that Banca de Economii later wired the money to multiple accounts in Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Switzerland and Hong Kong.
Moldova’s anti-graft body told EUobserver in a written note on Wednesday (6 February) that: “A criminal prosecution was started by our institution – the National Anti-Corruption Centre – on money laundering in December 2012. The case is now being investigated. No Moldovan bank accounts have been frozen up to now.”
It said it cannot name the suspects because of “presumption of innocence.”
It added that Moldova’s Prime Minister, Vlad Filat, has “declared he would monitor this case” due to its high-profile nature.
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