The Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA) considers the social perception, including of the judiciary system, as regards the importance of applying the confiscation instrument and of developing social reuse instruments, needs to be shaped. The National Criminal Assets Recovery Program can be a suitable instrument in this regard. “We hope the confiscated goods will be ultimately reused for social purposes. The social reuse can be applied only together with the issuing of a confiscation order,” Pavel Calpajiu, head of the CARA’s Assessment, Management and Use of Confiscated Goods, stated in a press club meeting.
The functionary noted that the conservation of the value of sequestrated goods is one of the basic duties of the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency. “If we speak about motor vehicles, a car sequestrated today in ten years, when a confiscation decision will be eventually made, will not cost anything or will have a much lower value than at present. Given that anticipated value, the vehicle needs to be sold until a final confiscation decision is made. The money will be transferred to a treasury account managed by the Agency, which is in the custody of the Ministry of Finance. The good side of this instrument is that the state interests are safeguarded as the pursued goal is to keep the value of the sequestrated goods. Also, the rights of the investigated person are also respected as this will get an appropriate equivalent value of the sequestrated goods in case of acquittal,” stated Pavel Calpajiu.
He said the decision to sell the sequestrated goods is taken exclusively by the court. The investigated person is informed about the early sale decision. “The goods are sold at a price that is determined by a judicial expert. The goods are sold by private law persons or through public tender contests. Given the intention to conserve the value, these goods cannot be sold at a discount higher than 10% of the value set by the judicial expert,” noted the functionary.
The press club meeting entitled “National Criminal Assets Recovery Program” was organized by the National Anticorruption Center and the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency in partnership with Soros Foundation Moldova.
