The Ministry of Justice is sabotaging Ilan Shor’s extradition procedure. Veronica Dragalin, head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, made this statement during the Rezoomat show on RliveTV. Dragalin explained that they prepared the extradition request using the European Commission’s form and coordinated it with the Israeli prosecutor. The Ministry of Justice has not sent the request that would allow them to bring the fugitive politician back to the country.
“The Ministry of Justice is sabotaging Ilan Shor’s extradition procedure. I prepared the request for extradition according to the form on the European Commission’s page and agreed on the entire content with Israeli prosecutors. The Ministry of Justice refuses to send the necessary version to ensure success in this case,” said Veronica Dragalin.
Additionally, Dragalin criticized the Ministry of Justice and the Legal, Appointments, and Immunities Commission in Parliament, accusing them of acting against the state’s interests.
She pointed to the promotion of the Amnesty Law and the Law on the Immunity of Lawyers as examples, claiming that these initiatives benefit lawyers, not the justice system or citizens.
“In my opinion, the Ministry of Justice and the legal committee in the Republic of Moldova are promoting and defending the interests of lawyers, not the state, by advancing the amnesty law, the immunity of lawyers, and others,” said Veronica Dragalin.
The Ministry of Justice “strongly rejects the accusations regarding the alleged delay in the procedure for requesting the extradition of Ilan Shor” and affirms that it has taken all necessary actions according to legal competencies and within the established deadlines in the interest of the Republic of Moldova. This response comes after the head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office criticized the Ministry, led by Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, and the Legal, Appointments, and Immunities Commission in Parliament, accusing them of acting against the state’s interests.
In a statement issued to the press on Wednesday, February 12, the Ministry of Justice emphasized that it “respects all international extradition procedures.”
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“The Ministry of Justice sent the extradition request to Israel within the legal timeframe and has consistently monitored its progress. Contrary to claims in the public space, the Ministry has taken all necessary steps for the extradition of Ilan Shor, as follows:
- On February 14, 2020, the Ministry sent the official extradition request to Israeli authorities after confirming his entry into Israeli territory.
- In August 2021, the Ministry responded to requests from Israeli authorities, providing the necessary additional information and documents.
- Between November 2021 and November 2022, the Ministry sent two follow-up requests to Israel regarding the status of the extradition request.
- On April 19, 2023, after the final ruling by the Chisinau Court of Appeal convicting Ilan Shor, the Ministry informed Israeli authorities and urged them to accelerate the procedure.
- On July 3, 2023, after receiving the reasoned decision from the Court of Appeal, the Ministry ensured its translation into English. The Ministry sent the reasoned decision to Israeli authorities and updated the initial extradition request with new circumstances, including recommendations from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
- In December 2023, the Ministry sent another request to Israeli authorities to clarify the request status.
- The Ministry also sent the extradition request to the Russian Federation. After learning about Ilan Shor’s entry into Russian territory, the Ministry sent the official extradition request to the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office on February 16, 2024. The Ministry also expressed willingness to provide additional documents to facilitate the extradition process.
- The Ministry of Justice respects all international extradition procedures. It is the only competent institution for sending extradition requests for convicted individuals and manages this process effectively and promptly. The Ministry has a longstanding, validated practice of preparing extradition requests, with foreign authorities having no objections regarding the substance and form of the requests,” the Ministry’s statement concluded.