Civil servants accused of corruption are easier kept under control – experts

“In Moldova’s situation, investigative journalism is in a strange way strengthening the position of the civil servants accused of corruption”, lawyer Alexandru Tanase considers. Tanase told on July 27 a news conference themed “Role of Media in Combating Corruption”, that in a police state, as Moldova seems to be, penal proceedings guarantee obedience to the power. “A civil servant who is accused in a criminal case is easier kept under control by Vladimir Voronin”, Alexandru Tanase stated. According to journalist Aneta Grosu, the investigation articles made by the reporters of “Ziarul de Garda” newspaper prove that the majority of civil servants dismissed on corruption grounds are subsequently transferred to other structures, or more regretfully, are sent abroad as diplomats. The director of the independent investigation weekly “Ziarul de Garda” Alina Radu says nothing has changed lately in what concerns the transparency of the state bodies, especially regarding the administration and distribution of public money. According to the journalist, the access to public information is still hindered, and the sources which unveil to the journalists the facts which negatively influence the image of the authorities are being intimidated. Alina Radu says that, regretfully, the journalists do not always manage to ensure the confidentiality of their sources even if they avoid any information which might lead to their identification. As an example the journalist mentioned the case when several children from a boarding school patronised by the first lady, Taisia Voronin, disappeared. “We informed all the responsible bodies about this case, including the first lady. Instead of investigating the disappearance of children, Taisia Voronin tried to found out who provided the information to the press. The person was found and punished. A significant part of employee’s salary was cut, which is a very unpleasant situation for a person working in a village. It is worth mentioning that we did not give any names or any other information which would have led to the identification of the source”, the journalist said. Romanian senator Ilie Ilascu, attending the debates, said that despite of all the difficult cases and admitted errors, the effect of the press campaigns, publicising of corruption cases and the fact that civil servants exceed their responsibility, are situations which can not be neglected. “The experiment I organised together with Alina Radu, when she managed to give me a photo camera in the cell where I was detained by the separatist authorities proves that the press can succeed in situations considered by everybody as impossible to overcome”, Ilascu emphasised, thanking the journalists for the support offered to the political prisoners of the separatist regime. At the end of the year, “Ziarul de Garda” will nominate for the third year in a row the persons who stood out by means of their incorruptible behaviour in 2007. The participants in the opinion poll will participate in the lottery “I want a wealthy life without corruption”. They could win a sack of flour, 5 litres of sour cream or cow cheese, 1 sack of sugar, a cock or a piglet and other prizes.