The Republic of Moldova banks on cooperation between the Moldovan prosecution bodies and prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which is the EU’s first independent prosecution office, President Maia Sandu stated in a meeting with European chief prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi, who came to Chisinau on a visit, IPN reports.
“The fight against corruption is the first commitment with which we came before the people and it remains the priority of the government team. We concentrate our efforts on the elimination of the abusive practices in the management of public funds and property and on the provision of the justice sector institutions with efficient instruments for fighting corruption. This way we can improve the relations between citizens and the state and can improve the quality of people’s lives,” said President Sandu.
She noted that progress in the field is made with difficulty, especially in investigating grand corruption or in identifying and recovering assets transferred oversees. The advancing here depends on cooperation with prosecutors from other jurisdictions.
“I discussed these things today with European chief prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi, who is in Chisinau on a visit. I welcomed the fact that the Prosecutor General’s Office and the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office will sign an agreement of cooperation to this effect. We bank on the EPPO’s assistance in investigating the frauds committed by those who fled from Moldova justice the last few years and in supervising the use of the European funds by the Republic of Moldova,” stated Maia Sandu.
Also today, the European chief prosecutor met with Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița. The interlocutors discussed the developments in the reformation of the justice sector and the prospects of cooperation with the EPPO by exchanging experience and by operational cooperation in the fight against financial frauds and contraband. The Premier said the fight against corruption is the Government’s zero priority and the law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Moldova already take a series of measures to investigate cases of grand corruption and to identify and recover the assets transferred abroad.
“Since the first months, we have prioritized the justice sector reform. Without an authentic reform, we will be unable to integrate into the big European family and to develop the country. We are ready to cooperate with the European Prosecutor’s Office so that we together find efficient methods for swift exchanges with an impact, while the fight against corruption will remain in the DNA of this government,” said Natalia Gavrilița, being quoted in a press release of the Government’s press service.
For her part, Laura Codruța Kövesi approved of the efforts made by the authorities to obtain the EU candidate status, noting that the actions taken so far by the executive and the done reforms are supported by the EPPO. “I’m here to transmit this message of support. We clearly see that you want a change and, even if the reforms last, the change of mentality, not of systems, is the most difficult part,” said the European chief prosecutor.
