Group of States Against Corruption recommends boosting efforts to prevent corruption among MPs, judges, prosecutors in Moldova

13:57 | 24.07.2019 Category: Social

Chisinau, 24 July /MOLDPRES/ - The Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) - the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption monitoring body - today asked Moldova’s authorities to boost efforts in order to enforce the measures concerning the prevention of corruption among the MPs, judges and prosecutors.

The request was made in the context of the publication of the report on compliance, adopted in October 2018, at the fourth round of Moldova’s evaluation in terms of preventing corruption among the lawmakers, judges and prosecutors.

In the report, GRECO concludes that Moldova must make significant progress to achieve an acceptable level of compliance. So far, Moldova has fulfilled four out of 18 recommendations and ensured partial implementation of nine recommendations, five ones remaining unimplemented.

At the same time, GRECO deems as insufficient the efforts made to improve the transparency of the legislative process. It asks the authorities to ensure, systematically, the publication in due time of the draft laws and related information, allowing a significant public and parliamentary discussion on the draft initiative drafts. Also, GRECO criticizes the fact that a code of conduct for MPs has not been adopted and no measures of preventing various forms of conflicts of interests have been taken as yet.

As for the prosecutors, the composition of the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP) remains a concern. Thus, GRECO regrets especially the fact that the justice minister and the head of the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) continue to be members of this body ex-officio. Also, the Group stresses the fact that no clear-cut formal procedures on the hierarchic instructions addressed to prosecutors have been introduced.

Referring to judges, GRECO regrets that the justice minister and the prosecutor general are CSM members ex-officio. At the same time, GRECO welcomes the publication and distribution of the code of professional and ethic conduct of judges.

GRECO also asked the Moldovan authorities to report on the enforcement of the recommendations expected till 30 June 2020.

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