The Party “Dignity and Truth Platform” (PPPDA) considers Parliament should adopt the Magnitsky Law as a national security measure. “The Republic of Moldova must adopt the Magnitsky Law to provide one more proof that it has a legitimate Parliament and MPs who serve the law, not offenders,” the party’s vice president Igor Munteanu was quoted by IPN as saying in a news conference.
According to Igor Munteanu, the adoption of this law is essential because it is the only legislative measure that can accelerate the investigation of the bank fraud, aligning the Republic of Moldova with the Global Accountability Act – international integrity legislation that is growing popular in Europe.
“The law is a shield against impunity and does not refer only to Russian citizens involved in the case of money laundering known as the Russian Laundromat. Any other person who commits serious abuses and crimes against the population or offenses against the constitutional order in the Republic of Moldova can be included in the list, according to the law,” stated Igor Munteanu.
According to him, by this law Moldova can impose sanctions against those who commit serious human rights violations, protecting thus its economic and political spheres from the influence of persons with criminal records. “If this Parliament really represents the interests of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, there should be no political party that would oppose the legislative proposal to align the country with the Magnitsky integrity standards for punishing those to blame,” noted Igor Munteanu.
He added that the law will enable to ban access to the financial-banking system for persons involved in large-scale bank frauds, serious human rights violations and other grave offenses. These will be banned from staying in Moldova and will have their ill-gotten gains confiscated. This will be an essential step towards introducing appropriate punishment instruments and removing the threats to national security.
The bill bears the name of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer and tax advisor. His arrest in 2008 and subsequent death after eleven months in police custody generated international media attention and triggered both official and unofficial inquiries into allegations of fraud, theft and human rights violations in Russia. In 2012, the United States Congress adopted the law “Russia and Moldova JV Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012”. President Barack Obama enacted the Magnitsky Act at the end of 2012, barring those Russian officials believed to be involved in Magnitsky's death from entering the United States or using its banking system.
