Asset Filings Mandatory for Moldovan Officials, Fines Loom
Individuals who have submitted their annual asset and personal interest declarations in Moldova still have approximately two weeks to make rectifications or additions to their submitted data.
The e-Integrity information system will retain these documents through the end of April. Failure to comply risks fines or even dismissal from office, warned Viorel Sochircă, head of the Evaluation, Prevention and Policy Implementation Directorate at the National Integrity Authority, during an interview on the "Zi de Zi" (Day by Day) program.
"There is an obligation to file a declaration of assets and personal interests. Failure to do so violates an article in the Contravention Code regarding the rules for filing such declarations," Sochircă stated. "Even a one-day violation of the deadline for filing declarations is punishable. There are some sanctions for non-filing and there are grounds for dismissal from office. There is also a sanction for non-submission of data by the declarant's family members. In case of violation of fiscal or criminal legislation, the State Fiscal Service or the Criminal Investigation Service is notified."
State dignitaries, public officials, heads of public organisations and their deputies, members of admission and evaluation commissions, and local councils are all required to submit these declarations, Sochircă clarified. He further outlined the specific data these individuals must provide:
"The declaration of assets and personal interests is a self-declaration that the declarant must file annually, upon employment, or upon dismissal. It contains a set of important data, including general information about the declarant and their family members. In the income section, we refer to all income earned by both the declarant and their family members. This includes not only salaries, but also other types of income such as from teaching, scientific, creative activities, sale or transfer of real estate or movable property, income from other sources, indemnities, allowances, precious objects, and virtual currency (...). The last section of the declaration focuses on personal interests, where the declarant must disclose their affiliations, memberships, or leadership positions within commercial/non-commercial organisations, and international organisations."
The National Integrity Authority verifies the accuracy of these declarations by comparing data on acquired assets with expenses incurred. Should a discrepancy exceeding 20 net monthly salaries be discovered, the criminal investigation body is notified.
Please note: March 31st marked the deadline for filing annual declarations of assets and personal interests for the year 2023. The Public portal received 61,161 declarations by the end of last month.
Beginning on April 1st, declarants have a 30-day window to submit a rectified declaration. The ANI will then randomly assign asset and personal interest declarations to integrity inspectors for verification.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
