Moldovan PM asks president to dismiss National Anticorruption Centre head

Chisinau, 16 October /MOLDPRES/- Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet today made an endeavor to ask Moldovan President Nicolae Timofti to initiate the dismissal  of the National Anticorruption Centre (CNA) head, Viorel Chetraru, from office.

“The prime minister has the prerogative to submit such initiatives to the president, and it is up to the latter to decide on issuing a decree on the dismissal of the aforementioned official,” Strelet said at a news briefing.

“To avoid any allegations on possible settling of accounts and revenge in these circumstances, I would like to say that one of the main reasons of this endeavor, is the continuously growing corruption perception index, both in Moldova and abroad, though statistics on CNA’s activity, unveiled by Mr. Chetraru, have always been triumphal. I would also like to announce that there is no political interference in this respect, and firmly affirm that I have never given Mr. Chetraru indications on how to solve various problems,” Strelet said.

“We also have enough reasons and evidence to ascertain that CNA used a discretionary and selective strategy to fight corruption, which resulted in a very low activity carried out by this institution,” the premier noted.

According to the premier, “CNA officials used selective strategies to investigate the frauds committed at  Banca de Economii (Saving Bank) and have let the main culprit free, even if he admitted making an act of active corruption through this current self-denouncement".

“I hope the president appreciates and approves this initiative, mainly because one of the protesters’ main demand during the civic dialogue, was to dismiss Chetraru from office,” Strelet said.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor L. Alcaza)