State functionaries agree with Transparency International’s report on corruption in Moldova. In the program “Place for dialogue” on Radio Moldova station, representatives of the state provided explanations for the current state of affairs in the field, IPN reports.
Deputy director of the National Anticorruption Center Cristina Tarna considers that the fight against corruption is not smooth because there are a series of anticorruption strategies and laws that are not coordinated between them. “The National Anticorruption Center was reformed, but the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office wasn’t reformed and the justice sector reform hasn’t been completed. But a criminal case over corruption goes through a number of law enforcement institutions until a sentence is passed,” she stated.
Cristina Tarna added that more time is needed for the anticorruption reforms to start to produce results, but the people expect miracles overnight. She expressed her optimism that the implementation of the Law on the Integrity of Public Servants will produce swift results in the fight against corruption. “From August, all the public functionaries will pass the integrity testing. The public institutions already started to mobilize. The employees of these institutions understood what the legal consequences of such testing are,” said Tarna.
Victor Stratila, deputy head of the National Integrity Commission, said the report by Transparency International is a broad one and presents the real situation. The legislation is imperfect because the Penal Code stipulates punishments for the falsification of property statements, not yet for the refusal to present them. “We informed about a number of cases when high-ranking officials, ministers and judges didn’t present property statements, but the prosecutors refused to examine them, arguing the Penal Code does not class them as offenses,” stated Stratila.
Within a telephone call during the program, Transparency International Moldova executive director Lilia Carasciuc said the two institutions that must ensure the professionalism, independence and integrity of judges and prosecutors – the Supreme Council of Magistrates and the Prosecutors’ Council – do not work in normal regime. “One of them includes discredited members, while the other one simply does not work,” she stated.
On July 29, Transparency International presented a report after monitoring 13 areas and institutions to determine their vulnerability to corruption. The political parties got the lowest score, being thus the most corrupt.
Experts said the vulnerability of some of the state institutions to corruption is due to the fact that their managers are named to posts without being assessed preliminarily, as the legislation requires.
