Media NGOs warn of the risk of transforming the Anticorruption Centre into a tool of pressure against BCC

The media non-governmental organisations are worried by the behaviour of the officers of the Centre for Fighting Economic Crimes and Corruption (CFECC) in the process of investigating an alleged case of extortion involving some of the members of the Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC). In a press statement, quoted by Info-Prim Neo, the media NGOs state that breaches of procedural standards, intimidation through interrogations, “warnings”, forced-taking of unsuspected persons to the CFECC headquarters, allegations of bribery worth 60,000 euros under the present state of affairs of the national audiovisual, are all signs pointing to the doubtfulness of the brought accusations. The signatories of the statement condemn corruption, but at the same time are concerned of the possibility that the CFECC is being used by the government, or other interested groups that are troubled by some decisions of the BCC, as a tool of pressure on the BCC members and an instrument to hinder some attempts to improve the state of the national audiovisual. The civil society is insisting that the public audiovisual authority must be autonomous and independent, free from encroachments of political, economic, administrative and of any other nature. The media NGOs call on the authorities to respect the legislation and to disallow pressure upon the members of the BCC. The statement is signed by the Independent Journalism Centre, the Electronic Press Association “APEL”, Journalists Union of Moldova, the Independent Press Association, the Investigative Journalism Centre, and the Press Freedom Committee.