Former Moldovan president detained

Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon has been detained for 72 hours under a criminal case under Article 4 of the Criminal Code of Moldova, including treason, Moldova's Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson Mariana Cherpec, Report informs via Interfax.

"The investigation is underway. … He is detained for 72 hours," Mariana Cherpec said.

The Prosecutor General's Office of Moldova has conducted a search in the house of former President Igor Dodon, Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson Mariana Cherpec, Report informs via RIA Novosti.

According to Cherpec, the search was carried out by officers of the anti-corruption department of the Prosecutor General's Office and the information and security service.

Dodon is accused of taking bribes from businessman Vladimir Plahotniuc.

According to the media, former MP Iurie Reniță shared a video of the meeting of then-President Igor Dodon with the leader of the Democratic Party, businessman Vladimir Plahotniuc and his deputy Sergey Yaralov in 2020. The video shows the party chairman give an envelope to Igor Dodon. According to the deputy, the envelope contained a large amount of money. The meeting took place in June 2019. A few days later, Dodon left Moldova. The former president now lives in his country.

Plahotniuc is a former MP and one of the wealthiest people in Moldova. In November 2017, Moscow's Basmanny District Court sentenced him in absentia due to murder. He is accused of money laundering and unjust enrichment, as well as laundering billions of dollars from the banking system. Plahotniuc left the country in June 2019. A Chisinau court has sentenced him several times in absentia.