With a score of 33, Moldova ranks 120th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2019 that was launched by Transparency International. It slipped three spots from the 117th in 2018. The CPI measures public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories, giving each a score from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), IPN reports.

Transparency International Moldova said 2019 was difficult for Moldova. “Three government changed and there was formed a situational alliance that removed the oligarch who captured the state from power and started to adopt laws designed to dismantle the oligarchic regime. Regrettably, after the alliance dismembered suddenly, the priorities of the new government were immediately retailored. Despite the initial effort made in Parliament to elucidate the bank fraud, the inquiry commission’s report remained without appropriate attention. The competent bodies declared the investigations will be stepped up, but the assets of the persons implicated in the bank fraud, money laundering, state capture remained under their control,” TI-Moldova says in a press release.

The experts noted that even if the Prosecutor General’s Office inspected the specialized prosecutor’s offices, the veritable reform of the whole justice sector stagnates. A lot was invested in creating the Crime Assets Recovery Agency, but the process of recovering the stolen funds continues to be delayed.

The Association’s experts said that to support the democratic state with the rule of law in Moldova, the countries of the European Union and the Eastern Partnership should work out and adopt laws similar to the Magnitsky Act, imposing travel restrictions and freezing the assets of those involved in grand corruption, consolidate the legal framework for preventing money laundering, stimulating the activity of the recently created European Public Prosecutor’s Office and facilitating the recovery of crime assets.

In 2019, Moldova took the 120th position, compared with Georgia that ranked 44th, Romania – 70th, Armenia – 77th, Ukraine – 126th, Russia – 137th, Uzbekistan – 153rd, Turkmenistan –165th.

More than two-thirds of the 180 countries scored below 50, with an average score of only 43. The rankings are topped by Denmark and New Zealand, both with a score of 87, and Finland with 86. Syria, South Sudan and Somalia are at the opposite pole with scores of 13, 12 and 9 respectively.