Moldova to Establish Anti-Corruption Court
The Moldovan Parliament and government are expected to approve the Anti-Corruption Court bill in the coming weeks, according to Prime Minister Dorin Recean's announcement on TVR Moldova.
The Prime Minister believes the creation of this new court will expedite the resolution of cases deemed to be in the public interest.
"This will indeed speed up the process of resolving cases in the public interest, especially those related to the billion-dollar theft, corruption within the judiciary and prosecution system itself, and voter bribery cases. Consequently, the recovery of funds stolen in the billion-dollar embezzlement scheme is also expected to happen much sooner," Recean stated.
Prime Minister Recean also emphasised the importance of justice reform, calling it "fundamental." "The fight against corruption is absolutely necessary to ensure the lasting impact of the reforms we are implementing," he said. "I will continue to denounce those who commit illegal acts, who make decisions that harm the Republic of Moldova and its citizens."
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Recean has drawn criticism for his actions during government meetings, where he has repeatedly named and criticised judges for their decisions.
Moldovan Judges' Association and Superior Council of Magistracy Call for Abstinence from Public Criticism of Judges
The Association of Judges of the Republic of Moldova (AJRM) accused Recean of interfering in judicial affairs and requested that embassies and the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) take action.
The CSM also requested that officials abstain from disclosing the names of judges when publicly discussing the merits of judicial decisions.
Regarding the Anti-Corruption Court, Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru announced last month that the bill is expected to be passed in its final reading by the end of April.
President Maia Sandu requested the Parliament and government to establish the Anti-Corruption Court in March of last year. This specialised court would be tasked with investigating cases of high-level corruption and corruption within the justice system. Subsequently, the National Security Council echoed the President's request, urging Parliament to prepare the legal framework for the court's creation and for the new CSM to announce a competition to select judges for the court.
However, some experts have expressed scepticism about the necessity of creating a separate Anti-Corruption Court. Galina Bostan, President of the Center for Analysis and Prevention of Corruption, previously told Radio Moldova that efforts should focus on improving the efficiency of existing judges and officials who handle corruption cases. She argued that a specialised court is unnecessary because the number of relevant cases, roughly 500 reviewed annually, is not exceptionally high.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
