A group of Dutch MPs, who are in Chisinau on a working visit, approved of the changes made to improve the justice sector of Moldova. They met with Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim, who informed them about the implemented changes, IPN reports.

According to a communiqué from the Ministry of Justice, Oleg Efrim said that among the most important accomplishments is the adoption of the anticorruption package of laws that provides for the institution of extended confiscation and heavier fines for corruption-related offenses, diminution of the immunity of judges, mandatory polygraph testing of candidates for the posts of judge and prosecutor, and for the testing of the integrity of public functionaries.

“We are glad that these laws are already functional. At the start of this month, a judge was sentenced to seven years in jail for taking bribe. It was the first conviction of a judge in the last 20 years. So far this year, 40 judges left the system, voluntarily, because they were unable to resist pressure, or after being dismissed for committing disciplinary deviations,” stated the minister.

Oleg Efrim also spoke about the increase of over 63% in the budgets of courts of law in 2013, the renovation or construction of new courts of law, etc. In this connection, he thanked the Parliament of the Netherlands for the confidence and support provided to the country in achieving the European integration objective.

For their part, the Dutch MPs appreciated the changes taking place in the justice sector and assured that the Netherlands will continue to support Moldova’s European course.

The representatives of the Dutch Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee are visiting Chisinau between April 27 and May 1. They came to collect facts about the reforms initiated in Moldova and about the implementation of the recommendations made by the Council of Europe, especially in the justice sector.