The operation carried out at the Leuseni-Albita customs post and the arrest of 32 customs officers is a play staged for the Europeans’ eyes only. The law enforcement bodies are pretending to fight corruption before the Vilnius Summit, where Moldova is to sign the Association Agreement with the EU. Such an opinion was stated by invitees to the program “Politica” on TV7 channel, IPN reports.
The head of the Center for Initiatives and Public Authorities Monitoring Ion Dron said that society is trying not to associate the recent operations at the customs post with the Vilnius Summit, but the authorities are obliged to mime steps as they are required to take action by those from outside. “Nobody believes that they do everything sincerely, but they don’t do bad things in fact. The operation at the customs was a hoax. The authorities only pretend to fight corruption,” he stated.
He added that the activity of the National Anticorruption Center has turned into outlawry. The customs officers were arrested with violations of the procedural rules so that they all may be acquitted.
Arcadie Barbarosie, director of the Public Policy Institute, said the arrest of customs and border police officers distracted attention from the Chisinau International Airport and Banca de Economii. But what happened should have happened once. “Nothing would have happened if there hadn’t been the obligations imposed by the Association Agreement with the EU. Society does not exert pressure on the authorities to combat corruption. I’m not 100% sure that the operation at the customs post was a hoax, but I want to see results,” he stated.
He also said the authorities should not quarrel between them until the elections as the people have not much confidence in them and they can simply refuse to go to the polls.
Lawyer Stefan Gligor said the EU is expecting the Moldovan law enforcement bodies to conduct investigations so that there are condemnations at all the levels. “Over the last few years, we have witnessed many arrests, but the fact that somebody is arrested does not mean being condemned. Indisputably, the authorities sent a message to the law enforcement bodies to start searches,” he added.
Executive director of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, expert Igor Botan said that after a number of institutions were subject to institutionalization, they must justify somehow the European investments and show results. “The institutions were created and reformed on the recommendation of the EU. Now the European officials seek results,” he stated, adding the searches and arrests of corrupt functionaries shouldn’t be a campaign for Europeans’ eyes only as everyone is watching the law enfacement bodies to see what’s next.
Expert of the Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption Mariana Calughin said it is hard to believe that the fight against corruption will produce results. “The customs employees are at the top of the Center’s statistics. The case is special because there were arrested many employees of one customs post. In fact, the bodies are servile and the publicity campaign shows unprofessionalism,” she stated.
