Parliament today passed a motion finding that Eduard Harunjen had not been eligible to become Prosecutor General and recommending the President to “terminate his employment”. The motion passed with 56 votes as the Democrat group walked out in protest.
Presenting the motion, MP Sergiu Litvinenco (ACUM/PAS) said that upon his nomination Harunjen was a member of the Superior Council of Prosecutors, whereas the selection rules explicitly prohibited any current SCP member from being nominated.
In his speech, MP Dinu Plîngău (ACUM/DA) accused PG Eduard Harunjen of being a “baton in the hands of the Democratic Party” and of being responsible for “all the abuses, all the crimes committed in the country and left unpunished.”
MP Bogdan Țîrdea (PSRM) agreed that “the Prosecutor General’s Office is at the top of the country’s mafia structure.” He recalled that Harunjen was nominated “overnight” by an outgoing SCP chairman, and cited an opinion poll which showed that 75% of respondents didn’t trust the current PG. Țîrdea also accused Harunjen of doing a poor job investigating high-profile cases such as the bank fraud.
Before the walkout, MP Sergiu Sîrbu (PDM) condemned the move as “an assault against the judiciary with the purpose of bringing the judicial system under the control of the current government.” Sîrbu disagreed that there were any reasons for the dismissal and noted than only the SCP had the authority to remove the PG. “Any decision by Parliament to this effect is null and void and subject to being challenged. It’s an expression of politicians wanting to get rid of an inconvenient Prosecutor.”
President Igor Dodon stated earlier that once the legislative procedures to dismiss Eduard Harunjen are completed, he will be ready to sign the final decree.
Eduard Harunjen was appointed PG on 8 December 2016 by the outgoing President Nicolae Timofti and to the dismay of the then president-elect Igor Dodon.
