Veronica Dragalin willing to take polygraph over vetting claims
Veronica Dragalin, former head of Moldova's Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, has reiterated the allegations that she was asked for a list of prosecutors considered honest in order to pass the vetting process.
She states that she is willing to take a polygraph test to prove her truthfulness.
Her reaction comes shortly after President Maia Sandu categorically denied the accusation that she had requested a list of "honest" prosecutors to promote through the vetting process.
"I signed a letter with full awareness and responsibility, taking full ownership of everything I declared. The statements of a witness hold the weight of evidence. I am ready to take a polygraph test to prove I am telling the truth," Dragalin wrote on her Facebook page.
She claims that she has recorded the date, time, and content of the meetings, which can be verified through registers, video recordings, and the testimonies of individuals who were immediately informed of the discussions.
Dragalin argues that she raised several concerns about the way the pre-vetting process was conducted, but her warnings went unheeded. Furthermore, she says she was prevented from building a team she could trust: "When I repeatedly requested tools from politicians to form my team of prosecutors, I was turned down."
It is worth mentioning that a letter, purportedly signed by Veronica Dragalin, was recently published by anti-corruption expert Cristina Ciubotaru. In the document, Dragalin claims that both President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean had asked for a list of prosecutors who should pass the vetting process. She refused, citing the risk of the list being used for political purposes.
Following the release of the letter, the Presidency labeled the accusations as false and regrettable, reiterating that the goal of the vetting process is to eliminate corruption and promote integrity within the justice system.
Prime Minister Dorin Recean also dismisses the accusations. According to government spokesman Daniel Vodă, Dragalin's statements constitute a "grave lie."
Veronica Dragalin has repeatedly criticized the prosecutor vetting process in her capacity as head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. She argued that external evaluation could hinder the activity of the institution she led, especially as several prosecutors resigned or intended to resign to avoid scrutiny of their ethical and financial integrity.
The former head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office also publicly opposed the reform of the two specialized prosecutor's offices — the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (PA) and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), as proposed by the Ministry of Justice. Dragalin believes that under her leadership, the PA achieved "historic" results in the fight against corruption and that merging the prosecutor's offices dealing with organized crime and corruption would be "unfounded."
On the other hand, President Maia Sandu has repeatedly criticized the performance of institutions responsible for fighting corruption. In a recent interview on Radio Moldova, the President stated that the justice reform in Moldova is approaching its final stage and, while significant progress has been made, the process must continue to ensure a clean and effective judicial system. Regarding the reorganization of the two specialized prosecutor's offices, Sandu reiterated the need to consolidate them into a single "strong" institution.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
