Mihai Ghimpu: Justice in Moldova is done by political order to protect the interests of those that hold the power and this means corruption among high-ranking officials. Info-Prim Neo poll

{Info-Prim Neo News Agency is conducting an opinion poll among leaders of the parties running in elections. The subject of the poll is corruption in Moldova and solutions for fighting it. All the participants were asked two similar questions. This time, the answers are given by Mihai Ghimpu, the president of the Liberal Party (PL).} [ - What does the party that you represent think about corruption in Moldova?] - During 10 years of Communist government, corruption became a generalized phenomenon that affects most of the spheres of the society, the institutions, the legal system, the law enforcement bodies, the public administration bodies, and the state administration. The burden of corruption in the legal system, police and central state administration carried by the people is the heaviest. The ordinary people cannot find justice in the country and have to appeal to the last court – the European Court of Human Rights. The Government lost all the cases examined by the court. We can draw the conclusion that justice in Moldova is done by political order to protect the interests of those that hold the power and this means corruption among high-ranking officials. Two more aspects should worry us: there is no specialized free and independent press that would seriously investigate the cases of corruption at the high level, where the stake is the property collected by certain officials illegally; the proceedings over corruption instituted by the law enforcement bodies are not examined until the end. For example, there were dismissed many ministers suspected of corruption, but the investigations were hushed up and the public opinion did not find out anything. This has a negative effect on the situation in Moldova and creates a poor image abroad. [ - What will the PL do to combat corruption if it comes to power?] - The Liberal Party’s electoral platform includes a plan to combat corruption that aims to make the fight against corruption more efficient. We will start with checking the corruption combating activities carried out by the Communist government – with a through analysis at all the levels. We aim to make these activities more efficient and reorganize them first of all at the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime, which has great powers and whose results are at least doubtful. Secondly, we will focus on the corruption among high-ranking officials and state functionaries, on the combating of shadow economy and will fight against the persecution of private individuals and legal entities which is done on the pretext of fighting corruption. The last aspect is very sensitive because it is known that there are many fabricated corruption cases. In order to combat corruption, we will introduce legislation that would provide for the publication of extensive information about the property of MPs, ministers, other functionaries and their families and for the strict monitoring of their property while they are in office. I think that the civil society expects that if it comes to power after April 5, the Liberal Party will analyze the large contracts for the privatization of state patrimony made during the Communist government.