There is opposition to vetting and many prosecutors will tender their resignations before the evaluation begins. According to the head of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office Veronica Dragalin, other anticorruption prosecutors will leave office, following the example of prosecutor Victoria Furtună. The regulations on the assessment of the integrity and professionalism of prosecutors lacks clarity and makes many leave the system, IPN reports.
Veronica Dragalin said that internal polls show that more anticorruption prosecutors will hand in their resignations ahead of the start of the vetting process.
“There is a lot of opposition on the part of prosecutors towards the vetting process because this procedure is not clear. There is opposition on the part of prosecutors who doubt that it will be an objective process with a fair outcome. I hope that in the end we will encourage as many prosecutors as possible to go forward, not to resign. But from the discussions I have with prosecutors, from the anonymous surveys I conduct periodically, I know that there are prosecutors who will resign rather than take the vetting,” Veronica Dragalin stated in the talk show “Resumé with Ileana Pirgaru” on RliveTV channel.
The head of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office said that she herself is doubtful about the evaluation given that the vetting regulations allow checking the incomes of all relatives of the person subject to assessment. She doesn’t want to expose her family to this examination process.
“I’m also doubtful about this procedure. I’m more interested in the privacy of my family members. I decided to fill this position and assumed this position, but my parents, my sister, my aunts and uncles, didn’t assume this. In the questionnaire, we are obliged to give the name and surname of all relatives, with IDNP, with the date of birth, and their wealth can be checked in connection with our assessment,” stated Veronica Dragalin.
According to the law, the prosecutor who doesn’t pass the vetting is dismissed from office with deprivation of the right to serve as a prosecutor or hold a public post for a period of five-seven years. On the other hand, for the prosecutors of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’ Office who will pass the evaluation, salaries will be increased up to 47,000 lei.
