The creation of the Anticorruption Tribunal is another promise made by the government after the Party of Action and Solidary (PAS) failed in its fight against corruption, said Deputy Speaker of Parliament Vlad Batrîncea. According to the member of the National Council of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, the government has all the instruments to fight corruption and the creation of a new specialized institution is a false goal, IPN reports.
Under the concept that was presented by the President’s Office, the Anticorruption Tribunal will fight corruption and will ensure celerity in the examination of complex cases of corruption, The institution will have at most 15 judges who will be chosen at a contest by the Superior Council of Magistracy based on merit and experience and will be named, including by transfer, by the President of the Republic of Moldova. The parliamentary opposition described Maia Sandu’s initiative as a new electoral promise.
“This is another electoral promise. It is already noticeable that the PAS does not have the capacity to efficiently organize the work of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anticorruption Center and the founding of an Anticorruption Tribunal is a false goal therefore. In 2021, when the PAS came to power, the Republic of Moldova wasn’t in point zero. We had institutions that were created also with the support of the European partners. But these institutions were to become functional, to deliver results. When they cannot deliver the results promised to society, they create false goals. No matter how this body is called, either Tribunal or somehow else, it will have the same duties and will employ the same persons. Nothing will change,” Vlad Batrîncea stated in the program “Reflection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei channel.
Under the concept, the judges of the Anticorruption Tribunal will have salaries close to the pays of the judges of the Supreme Court of Justice after this is reformed (about 45,000 lei) and among the additional safeguards for judges will be state guard on request and service apartments for judges living outside Chisinau.
“It is a wish to show that they need four more years to deliver results. The PAS organized the contests and named the managers of the NAC and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office. They have control over these institutions and should therefore provide the promised results and should not look for someone who they could blame. Veronica Dragalin was confronted with a reality at the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office. Indeed, there are a number of circles of influence there. Those people include persons who represent the regime from until 2019 and persons controlled by the current government regime,” stated the Deputy Speaker.
The draft law on the creation of the Anticorruption Tribunal is to be submitted to Parliament for consideration until the end of the current session. The text of the proposal will also be transmitted to the Venice Commission with the assurance that it will be subsequently adjusted.
