Prosecutor of Chisinau municipality Ivan Diacov asked for support from civil society and the mass media for holding accountable the judges who commit deviations. In a press beefing on September 22, Ivan Diacov said trafficking in drugs is one of the most serious crimes in the country. Despite the efforts made to combat this offense, the fight against drug distribution gets stuck at the level of trials.

According to Ivan Diacov, the trafficking in drugs involves about 2 billion lei. A large part of the bribery and corruption money derives from here. In cases related to trafficking in drugs, the bribe is €30,000 to €50,000. The sum grows depending on the stage of the lawsuit – the lowest for the sector police officer and the largest for the judge.

The prosecutor said the police are often given instructions and are to arrest only drug users. The prosecutors make effort to identify the persons who hold more important positions in the drug trafficking network. But their efforts are often thwarted by judges who allow the culprits to escape or refuse to issue arrest warrants against them.

Ivan Diacov reminded about the case of judge Lilia Vasilievici, who took a decision favorable to culprit Victor Chernyi, who was found guilty of putting large quantities of drugs into circulation. The offender faced 7 to 15 years in jail, but the judge put him on probation for a four-year period. The offender left freely the courtroom, but is now wanted as the Court of Appeals modified his sentence to seven years’ imprisonment.

The prosecutor expressed his bewilderment at the fact that Lilia Vasilievici hasn’t been yet penalized. He called on civil society and the mass media to provide assistance in bringing this judge to justice.

Ivan Diacov pleaded for a real reform of the justice system, which would allow the prosecution officers, prosecutors and judges to cooperate efficiently in fighting drug trafficking. He noted that among the drug users investigated by prosecutors are sons of millionaires, MPs and generals.

According to the Ministry of Health, in Moldova there are almost 10,000 drug users, 70 of whom are minors. Unofficial estimates put the figure at 25,000 people. About 25-40 persons die annually from diseases related to drug abuse.