UK sanctions 2 Moldovan oligarchs charged with corruption

By STEPHEN McGRATH and CRISTIAN JARDAN
Associated Press

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Britain’s foreign secretary says two Moldovan oligarchs who are allegedly implicated in a one-billion-dollar bank fraud and other illicit schemes have been added to a new U.K. sanctions list. The two men, Ilan Shor, and Vladimir Plahotniuc, fled Moldova in 2019 as they faced a series of corruption charges. Moldova’s prime minister hailed the U.K. move Friday, saying that “the circle around the corrupt and thieves in the country is tightening.” Shor is a businessman born in Israel — where he has resided in exile since 2019. He also leads the populist, Russia-friendly Shor Party, which in recent months has organized large protests in Moldova’s capital against the pro-Western government. Plahotniuc is a powerful businessman and former politician.