The Law on the National Integrity Authority (ANI) and the Law on the Declaration of Wealth and Interests need to be improved in what concerns the review procedure of the refusal to initiate an inspection, the funding of ANI, and the relations between the ANI management and the Integrity Council. Recommendations to this effect were made during a round of public consultations held on Thursday by Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, IPN reports.
Rodica Antoci, president of the National Integrity Authority, said that the purpose of the proposed amendments is to improve and streamline the verification performed by integrity inspectors. Funding aspects will need to be examined. Also, ANI’s internal operations need to be improved. The final and transitional provisions should also take into account the method of declaring personal property and interests, so that the subject of the declaration is not placed in ambiguous situations. Rodica Antoci also says that integrity inspectors need to be supervised as well.
According to Mariana Kalughin, of Transparency International Moldova, the bill needs essential improvements, including technical ones. At the same time, she believes it is uncomfortable to participate in consultations between readings, because it seems to be a waste of time, creating the impression that decisions have already been made. In her opinion, the bill requires a better financial substantiation, because it concerns the right granted to integrity inspectors to request expert opinions and evaluation of assets, which involves costs.
Alexei Panis, judge at the Chisinau/Rascani District Court, believes that the proposed changes will give integrity inspectors enough instruments to do their job, but both the current legislation and the proposed amendments do not provide for the possibility to challenge the refusal to initiate an inspection. The judge thinks it would be a good idea to introduce explicit provisions to this effect.
The Legal Resource Center will present a written opinion to improve the bill, promised its president Vladislav Gribincea. The Council is the supreme body of ANI, which must coordinate the processes within the Authority. Vladislav Gribincea noted that several important issues must fall within the jurisdiction of the Council, including the approval of activity reports, internal regulations and organizational charts. Also, according to Vladislav Gribincea, candidates for the position of the Council director, as well as prospective inspectors, should submit wealth declarations before applying for the job, not after.
MP Olesea Stamate, chair of the Legal Committee, asked the participants in the public consultations to send their recommendations in writing.
The proposed amendments to the Law on ANI was approved by Parliament in first reading on August 13.
