Corruption in judiciary - major threat to state security, things must change radically - Moldovan president says

Chisinau, 28 May /MOLDPRES/- President Maia Sandu sent a message to Moldovan judiciary at yesterday's meeting of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the presidential press service has reported.

The head of state warned the judges that the phenomenon of corruption in the judiciary is a major threat to state security and things must change radically.

The president reminded the CSM members that ensuring the integrity of judges is a priority for system and society. In this context, the head of state referred to several examples of serious damage caused to the state and citizens by corrupt magistrates who pronounce illegal judgments. "These damages are measured in hundreds of convictions at the ECHR, with damages of tens of millions of euros paid by citizens, in investments of hundreds of millions missed, money and embezzled public property," Maia Sandu said.

Speaking about the chronic problems of the judiciary, the president expressed regret that for decades it has not found solutions to eliminate people and corrupt practices - de facto, it does not want to clean up inside. "We have heard justifications and proposals for solutions, such as the more active involvement of the SIS and the Prosecutor's Office to prove cases of corruption or additional powers for CSM in evaluating and verifying the work of judges. We agreed that the CSM members will present proposals for legislative changes to clean up the judiciary within 30 days ", the head of state said.

During the talks, Maia Sandu told the magistrates that she would continue to insist on external evaluation as a tool to clean up the judiciary. "The judiciary will be independent only when magistrates who are governed not by law, but by the instructions received from people with high interests in business and politics will be excluded from the system. An independent, efficient judiciary, made up of judges guided by law is a priority in order to defeat corruption and return the state of the Republic of Moldova to citizens ", the president said.