CHISINAU — Moldova opened a criminal investigation into allegations a bank in the country was involved in a money-laundering scheme related to the Russian tax fraud case exposed by anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.
Magnitsky, who accused Russian police and tax officials of stealing $230 million from the state by setting up bogus tax refunds, died in a Moscow jail in 2009 after complaining that he had been denied treatment as his health declined.
Moldova's National Anti-Corruption Center is looking into allegations that some of the Russian fraud money was wired through a Moldovan bank, Igor Volnitchii, an adviser to Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat, said Monday.
A spokesman for the National Anti-Corruption Center said the criminal case had been initiated in December. He declined to provide any further details.
(Reuters)
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