Chisinau, Dec 14 (UNI) The Moldovan Supreme Court of Justice on Friday ruled against Ilan Shor, the fugitive leader of the Pobeda (Victory) opposition bloc, sentencing him to 15 years in prison in absentia on charges of large-scale fraud and money laundering.
A court in Chisinau earlier sentenced Shor in absentia to 15 years in prison in 2023 for the alleged embezzlement of $1 billion from the country’s banks, ordering his assets to be confiscated. Shor called the ruling “unlawful and outrageous,” saying he would not comply with it. His lawyers appealed it to the supreme court.
“The panel of judges unanimously rejected the appeal filed by attorneys … against the decision of the Chisinau Court of Appeal dated April 13, 2023. All substantial arguments presented by the defense, that is, those that could have influenced the decision, were deemed unfounded or inadmissible on procedural grounds. The remaining arguments, including those regarding the inadmissibility of evidence, are clearly unfounded or adequately contested by the appellate instance and do not require further dispute,” the verdict read.
Shor described his conviction as “the highest mark of approval” and pledged to continue his struggle against the regime of Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
“The Sandu gang has sold Moldova’s sovereignty to the West, destroyed the economy, rigged the elections and the referendum, and now it is dishing out sentences on trumped-up charges… We will continue fighting for the republic’s independence and a decent life for the Moldovans with redoubled energy,” he wrote on social media.
In 2014, three Moldovan banks — Banca de Economii, Banca Sociala and Unibank — were found to be involved in a $1 billion fraud. Shor was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in June 2017 for his suspected involvement and prohibited from leaving Moldova.
Shor left Moldova for Israel after the February 2019 parliamentary elections and was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in August. Moldova has been seeking his extradition. Israel said it would consider whether to hand him over or have him serve the sentence in Israel once the final ruling is made.
