President Maia Sandu fully dissociates herself from the scandal involving former Ombudswoman Natalia Moloșag. She said she does not know Moloșag even if the lawyer defended her in a case. President Sandu noted that Moloșag tendered her resignation and it’s all over now, IPN reports.

Maia Sandu said that she does not know Natalia Moloșag personally even if she defended her in a case involving her former political opponents. During her political career, the lawyers were chosen by the campaign team, not by her.

“I didn’t have the occasion for knowing Missis Moloșag even if she represented me in a case. Being involved in this political struggle, I often needed a lawyer. In some of the situations, the lawyers were hired by the campaign team or by the party. I didn’t get acquainted with her before or after,” Maia Sandu stated in a special edition on TVR Moldova channel.

President Sandu said that together with the resignation of Natalia Moloșag, the subject can be closed, but the criticism leveled at Moloșag discourages many citizens of the Republic of Moldova from occupying public posts.

“The answers of Missis Moloșag weren’t convincing. I cannot say if she was right or not. But the wave of criticism leveled at her later didn’t leave time for things to be analyzed and to exclude an artificial attitude. Things happened very swiftly. The person resigned and it’s all over. Two main reasons for which the people refuse to come to work for public institutions are the salaries, as the people say they have higher pays elsewhere, and public lynching. Many people said they do not want to come because they are subject to public lynching for a mistake or for a suspected mistake,” said the official.

Natalia Moloșag tendered her resignation from the post of Ombudswoman on December 2 after press reports said she was assisted by a former client who was sentenced to four years in jail for procuring. Moloșag explained she decided to hire the former client based on a contract for the provision of services with the Ombudsperson’s Office as she wanted to help the former convict reintegrated socially. Moloșag was named ombudswoman by Parliament in September.