October 30 (SeeNews) - Moldovan anti-corruption prosecutor's office said on Wednesday it has seized 55.8 million lei ($3.2 million/2.9 million euro) in assets owned by former Democratic Party leader Vlad Plahotniuc as part of a probe of suspected money laundering.
Prosecutors seized the equivalent of 15.7 million lei held by Plahotniuc in accounts with local lender Victoriabank, as well as shares in BB-Dializa company worth 31.8 million lei, Bass-Systems (worth 2.95 million lei) and GMG Production (worth 10.8 million lei), the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The decision to seize the assets was taken in order to avoid the risk of money being moved elsewhere, prosecutors explained.
After PDM lost Moldova's general election in June, Plahotniuc left Moldova. An international warrant for his arrest was issued earlier this week.
PDM was in power between 2014 and 2019.
Plahotniuc was chairman of PDM between December 2016 and June 2019. Previously, he was an MP for three terms. He also served as first deputy speaker of parliament between 2010 and 2013.
(1 euro=19.433 Moldovan lei)