The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office considers that the proposed merger of the institution with the PCCOCS does not meet the current requirements and challenges in the fight against corruption and organized crime. This follows statements about the possible merger of the two institutions, made on Wednesday by Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru during a briefing.
The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office commented to IPN that no plausible or convincing arguments were presented during the speech to justify the need for such a merger.
The detailed arguments on the impediments, challenges and proposed solutions to address the phenomenon of electoral and political corruption are contained in a letter signed by PA Chief Prosecutor Veronica Dragalin and sent to Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu on January 24, the PA said.
The Superior Council of Prosecutors noted that it "closely monitors the initiatives on the reorganization of specialized prosecutor's offices and expresses its concern about the impact these reforms could have on the efficient and independent functioning of the institutions."
The PSC considers it essential that "any reform of the prosecution system should be based on the principles of legality, stability and institutional efficiency, respecting international standards of judicial independence".
The Superior Council of Public Prosecutors mentioned the importance of "a transparent decision-making process, based on broad consultations with the relevant actors in the field of justice, so that any changes do not affect the balance between the autonomy of the Prosecutor's Office and the principle of separation of powers in the State".
The PSC expressed its willingness to participate in the inter-institutional dialog on the initiatives launched.
In a press briefing, the Minister of Justice said that the merger of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office with the Prosecutor's Office for the Fight against Organized Crime and Special Cases is to be discussed on a parliamentary platform with the involvement of all stakeholders. "The aim is to identify best practices in the fight against corruption and organized crime, and this requires a systemic approach," noted Veronica Mihailov-Moraru.
Veronica Mihailov-Moraru said that the possible merger of the specialized prosecutor's offices into a single institution would be seamless, with the transfer of all prosecutors, the continuation of their work and the maintenance of the files under investigation.
