Half of the functionaries with integrity problems continue to hold public posts and are even advanced, says the study “Reaction of public institutions to journalistic investigations: many inquiries, few results” that was presented by the Association of Independent Press (API) and the portal Moldova Curata, IPN reports.
The study authors ascertained the lack of political will to exclude the functionaries with integrity problems from public service. In some of the cases these are even advanced despite the facts revealed by professional journalistic investigations. Experts also warn about the low number of penalties imposed on functionaries for not declaring the property and personal interests.
The study analyzed the reaction of the authorities to the facts described by investigation journalists in 2014-2017 about the integrity of persons with public posts. The authors determined that half of the persons involved in the 32 reported loud cases continue to hold their posts and didn’t suffer the consequences, while in 8 cases were even promoted. There are legislative provisions and regulations concerning the irreproachable reputation of employees in many areas, especially in the judicial sector, but these are not respected and the only solution is the political will in the form of a powerful commitment to bring things in order in public institutions by removing the functionaries with integrity problems.
Of the 24 inspections carried out in the period after journalistic investigations by the former National Integrity Commission and the National Anticorruption Center, only ten ended with penalties. In the case of the National Integrity Commission, a part of the cases were dropped as the institution didn’t effectively check the property declared by subjects. The State Tax Service hasn’t yet shown interest in verifying the press reports about the non-transparent financing of parties and election campaigns, within its powers.
The experts call on the inspection and corruption fighting institutions to carry out checks based on journalistic investigations that include evidence and documents and reveal illegalities committed by public servants. The institutions should publicly inform about the taken steps, offering thus the public opinion clear evidence of the real will to fight corruption and promote integrity in the public sector.
The study authors recommend the representatives of civil society to monitor the way in which the state institutions react to journalistic revelations and submit requests for information or even denouncing statements so as to make the state institutions react.
