The Republic of Moldova has been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights (CEDO) in a case involving an environmental officer dismissed for accepting a chainsaw as a bribe. The European court found that the proceedings were not fair, reports IPN, citing the CEDO document.
The court determined that the domestic courts failed to properly examine the applicant's argument regarding the legality of the professional integrity test and did not ensure that the proceedings were adversarial.
Ivan Cavca, an officer at the Environmental Protection Inspectorate, was dismissed in May 2020 for accepting a chainsaw as a bribe while investigating illegal tree cutting. He later contested the dismissal, claiming he had been entrapped by an undercover agent conducting a random professional integrity evaluation of public officials.
After failing to obtain a favorable ruling in national courts, Cavca turned to the European court, citing Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights (CEDO), which guarantees the right to a fair trial.
Cavca argued that Moldovan justice had ignored the context in which the chainsaw was offered, specifically that it was a setup. The CEDO sided with him, ruling in his favor.
According to the court document, the CEDO found a violation of Article 6 by the Republic of Moldova and ordered the state to pay Ivan Cavca €1,375 for legal costs.
