The National Anticorruption Center was chosen to serve as the central contact point for the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in Moldova, IPN reports, quoting a Government decision.

The Center will ensure cooperation and information exchange with OLAF in cases of illegal obtaining and improper use of assistance funds provided by the European Union, corruption and other irregularities.

The cooperation relations envision operational and technical assistance, conduct of joint investigations, and cooperation in informing recipients of European funds about how to prevent fraud. Also, the two institutions will cooperate in staff training on corruption prevention when implementing financed projects. The Center will also monitor the retrieval of misused funds by carrying out financial investigations, tracing, identifying and recovering assets deriving from offenses.

The creation of the central contact point for the European Anti-Fraud Office is a measure aimed at strengthening the national institutional system and shows Moldova’s readiness to ensure the protection of the national and EU’s financial interests.