If they are to blame, they should be held accountable, while the actions of the National Anticorruption Center should not be only demonstrative and should not be used as political cudgel. Such opinions about the searches performed by officers of the Center on February 22 at the Chisinau City Hall were stated by leaders of groups of the Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) in the public debate “Dissolution of majority coalition on the Chisinau Municipal Council: reasons and consequences at local and national levels”, which is the 51st installment of the series of debates “Developing political culture by public debates”, organized by IPN News Agency in concert with Radio Moldova.

Oazu Nantoi, head of the group of the Electoral Bloc “European People’s Platform – Iurie Leanca”, said he didn’t understand what happened during those searches at the City Hall and the suspects remain innocent until their guilt is not proven. However, being the citizen of a captive state, he does not have confidence in the Moldovan justice, which is mainly used as a cudgel.

For his part, the leader of the group of Liberal councilors on the CMC Ion Cebanu said that if the persons investigated within those cases of corruption are to blame, these should answer in accordance with the law.

The head of the Socialist group Ion Ceban said the searches performed at the City Hall were fewer in number than required. According to unofficial information that he possesses, almost all the employees of the

City Hall are investigated in different cases that do not yet have a finale. Ion Ceban noted that these actions by the National Anticorruption Center should not be demonstrative and should not represent blackmail for obtaining political dividends.

Igor Botan, the standing expert of IPN’s project, said the National Anticorruption Center is a professional institution and the only problem is related to the suspicions that this is politicized. If officers of the Center carried out searches at the City Hall, they had reasons to do this as corruption is deep-rooted at the City Hall. It would be yet a problem is these actions are aimed at making the Liberal Party to be more favorably inclined in the adoption of decisions at the central level, such as the election of the head of state.

On February 22, officers of the National Anticorruption Center carried out searches at the Chisinau City Hall within 35 criminal cases. According to the Center, 12 persons, including two employees of the City Hall, were arrested for giving and taking bribe.