“Mr. P” or “VP” — this is what western diplomats in Moldova call Vlad Plahotniuc, the most influential person in Moldova. When I asked one of them why, they simply replied: “There’s an assumption that everything is bugged. It’s just easier and more polite than saying ‘Plahotniuc’.” He promised to tell me more the next day.
The diplomat and I arranged to meet, but a few hours before the meeting, the diplomat cancelled. “I’m sorry, I always try and help journalists, but in this particular case, find somebody else.”
People who have had dealings with Plahotniuc prefer not to talk about him, even under conditions of anonymity
