Earlier this year, a judge was sentenced to seven years in jail for acts of corruption, while another six judges are being investigated. Over the last four years, one third of the judges were replaced with new people. Currently, all the cases are distributed randomly and this leads to the prevention of acts of corruption and the lessening of the human factor in the examination of cases, Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim said in the third EU – Moldova Forum that was held in Balti on June 19-20, IPN reports.
According to a communiqué of the Ministry of Justice, Oleg Efrim said that among the most important accomplishments in reforming the justice sector are the implementation of the random case distribution system, audio recording of hearings, renovation or construction of new courts of law, diminution of the immunity of judges, adoption by Parliament of the package of anti-corruption laws designed to discourage acts of corruption and more severely punish corruption-related offenses in the judiciary system.
“By these revolutionary laws, we instituted such new measures as the integrity tests, extended confiscation of property, criminal punishment for illegal enrichment, and extension of the term of restrictions imposed on those convicted of corruption. The efficient implementation of these measures can push Moldova up in the rankings of the regional leaders in preventing and fighting corruption,” said Oleg Efrim.
The minister also spoke about the results achieved in the first two years of the adoption of the justice sector reform strategy and the plan of action for implementing it. He underlined that the justice reform is a difficult, but not an impossible task. “It is important that things improve and the results become evident. The increase in the people’s confidence in justice, by about 6% in the last five years, is a relevant proof. There is yet a lot to be done, but it is important to continue what we started after 2015,” he stated.
The EU – Moldova Forum is organized by the Foreign Policy Association.
