Ion Munteanu Named General Prosecutor Amid High Expectations
Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru declared that, like society, she has great expectations from the General Prosecutor, but “we must be aware of his position, managerial competencies, and some procedural functions”.
"Certainly, the General Prosecutor cannot change everything in the prosecution system and improve the situation overnight. That is why it is important for this person to be, first and foremost, courageous and to assume the objectives of reforming the prosecution. Especially in the context of European integration, internal and external international cooperation in criminal matters must be intensified. It is also important to cooperate with the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP), identify deputies, form a good team, and unite the prosecutors in the system for the objectives that society expects," said Veronica Mihailov-Moraru during a show on Rlive.
When asked how much time Ion Munteanu would need to reform the General Prosecutor's Office, the minister replied that, depending on how much energy he invests, it is important to have a very clear direction with focused actions: "According to his presentation during the interview, he focused on the need to intensify capacities within the General Prosecutor's Office and the prosecution system, especially regarding the fight against corruption and crime. Certainly, this will also require the help of other authorities - the CSP, the Ministry of Justice, and the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM)."
Referring to the contest itself, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru said it was transparent and fair.
"We will never be able to please everyone. But I can say that the contest was transparent, all interviews could be watched, and the performance of each candidate was clearly seen, as well as the questions asked by members and the way candidates answered. Likewise, the score accumulated by each candidate was made public, showing a significant difference between all the candidates. In principle, all Council members broadly agreed on scoring Mr. Munteanu higher. Moreover, the council members took into account the six evaluation criteria presented in the form."
Ion Munteanu won the contest for the position of General Prosecutor on Thursday, May 30, accumulating the maximum score given by CSP members: 9.21 points. The Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Octavian Iachimovschi, scored 8.80 points, and Prosecutor Alexandru Cernei – 7.92.
On Friday, the General Prosecutor's Office announced that Ion Munteanu will be inaugurated on June 1 at the General Prosecutor's Office headquarters. The event will include the swearing-in by the General Prosecutor, followed by speeches from the President, the General Prosecutor, and other guests. At the end, the General Prosecutor will give press statements.
Maia Sandu has not yet signed the decree appointing Ion Munteanu as General Prosecutor.
Ion Munteanu is 40 years old and has been a prosecutor since 2006. He previously worked at the Prosecutor's Office of the Centru sector, Chișinău municipality, and in 2009, his name appeared in a disciplinary procedure, resulting in a warning. In July 2010, he was appointed prosecutor in the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, and during the periods 2019-2020 and 2021-2022, he served as interim deputy chief prosecutor of this institution. By a decree signed by President Maia Sandu on October 12, 2022, Ion Munteanu was appointed interim General Prosecutor, replacing Dumitru Robu.
According to his 2023 declaration of assets and personal interests, Ion Munteanu lives with his wife and children in a house with a cadastral area of approximately 105.8 square metres, located in the town of Stăuceni.
According to the data presented by the prosecutor, the house is worth 1.2 million lei (60 thousand euros) and was donated by his parents-in-law.
The Munteanu family members own a Dacia Duster car manufactured in 2019 and bought in 2024 for 215 thousand lei and a Mercedes, manufactured in 2014, with a declared price of 50 thousand lei. Additionally, a family member owns a Mercedes manufactured in 2011, which he uses under a "translative possession and use" contract.
Last year, Munteanu received a total salary of 484,000 lei from the General Prosecutor's Office, about 40,000 lei monthly.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
