Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo said that the defendant Veaceslav Platon was legally extradited to Moldova.

"As regards Mr. Platon, all the actions that were taken in the territory of the Republic of Moldova were made legally and all the procedures were respected. The fact that he was targeted by the legislation on the territory of Ukraine can't influence our decision. The extradition procedure of Mr. Platon in Moldova has been done legally", said Stoianoglo.

Businessman Veaceslav Platon was sent to 18 years in jail for money-laundering and fraud linked to the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldova’s banking system. He got another 12 years behind bars in the second criminal case started against him over active corruption and swindle attempt.

He also risks another ten years in jail for the manufacture and circulation of fake bank cards.

In November, a Kiev court overturned the extradition decision in Moldova, issued in August 2016. Accordingly, Platon should be allowed to return to Ukraine and all the court decisions issued against him should be annulled. 

On zdg.md, lawyer Ștefan Gligor, an international law expert, said the annulment of Ukrainian court on Platon's extradition does not change the Moldovan court's judgement. As Platon was convicted as a Moldovan citizen and he would continue to serve his sentence regardless of the legality of his extradition. 

The newsin.md portal writes that the Kiev court's decision just reinforced the fact that Platon's money eventually bears fruit. Journalists recall that previously former deputy head of the CNA's Money Laundering and Prevention Service, Mihail Gofman, stated that Platon had exchanged $ 10 million with the former government for his release. The first step in this respect was the illegality of his extradition declared by the Kiev court.