The Moldovan citizens who are under international restrictions risk remaining without the citizenship of the Republic of Moldova. Through a draft law that was given a first reading by Parliament, the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) is empowered to analyze the opportunity of withdrawing the citizenship and, where appropriate, to notify the Public Services Agency (PSA) for initiating the procedure for withdrawing the Moldovan nationality, IPN reports.
One of the bill’s authors, MP Vasile Grădinaru, explained that the new provisions come to clarify the duties of institutions and the way in which they should act. “The SIS, pursuant to this article, is obliged to notify the PSA of the measures to be taken to initiate the procedure for withdrawing the citizenship,” said the MEP.
“You know very well that these days, hundreds of citizens leave for the Russian Federation, as haulers, and bring to the Republic of Moldova financial resources in foreign currencies to finance subversive actions against the Republic of Moldova. These are crimes that may be the basis for withdrawing the citizenship of the Republic of Moldova. And, yes, I believe that for those citizens who work against the interests of the Republic of Moldova and in the interests of a foreign state, the withdrawal of citizenship is the smallest punishment,” stated the MP, answering the question put by MP Marina Tauber.
Also, the sponsors proposed including the State Tax Service and the Public Services Agency in the list of authorities to which the SIS will submit the order regarding the approval or amendment of the list of persons associated with subjects of international restrictions.
Another provision of the draft law offers additional powers to the Security and Intelligence Service that, with the informational support of the Office for the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering, will compile and approve the list of legal entities about which there is documentary evidence that they are under the control of a subject of restrictions or have a subject of restrictions as beneficial owner.
Vasile Grădinaru also said that the composition of the Interinstitutional Supervisory Board should be broadened by including the governor of the National Bank of Moldova in it, by the example of Romania, and the Interinstitutional Supervisory Board’s duties stipulated in Article 11, par. (5) of Law No.25/2016 should be specified.
The draft law is to be given a second reading by Parliament.
