Jānis Mažeiks, on the merger of the PA and PCCOCS: "There is no single correct model for the organization of the prosecutor's office"
The initiative to merge the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) was discussed by the Delegation of the European Union in Chisinau with the Ministry of Justice, but a draft law in this regard was not analyzed, EU Ambassador Jānis Mažeiks told Moldova 1 TV. The official stressed that any reform must be the result of a quality legislative process, involving civil society and international partners to identify the most appropriate model for the Republic of Moldova.
"We discussed with the Ministry of Justice various ways of this reform implementation, but we did not analyze the draft law. I think it is important to have a quality legislative process that also involves civil society as well as the international partners of the Republic of Moldova to assess which model would be the most appropriate. There is no one-size-fits-all model for organizing prosecutorial services, as different countries have different approaches. But it is essential that any changes are well thought out and consulted before they are adopted," said JJānis Mažeiks.
The official did not say if the vote on this reform could delay the negotiations on the Republic of Moldova's accession to the EU.
On Wednesday, January 29, Justice Minister Veronica Moraru-Mihailov announced at a press conference that the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases could merge to improve the investigation of corruption and organized crime cases. Until then, the complex files could be transferred to the Section for Combating Political Corruption and Money Laundering, which was recently created within the Prosecutor General's Office. Also, the authorities are considering supplementing this section with prosecutors from the PA and PCCOCS, who will collaborate and focus on cases of electoral and political corruption.
In a response to the Public Broadcaster "Teleradio-Moldova", the head of the PA, Veronica Dragalin, disputed the need for the merger, arguing that no plausible and convincing reasons were presented to justify it.
The reorganization of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases is seen by experts as a measure meant to lead to the departure of the head of the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, Veronica Dragalin. They argue that the reform will not improve the fight against corruption but will generate instability and discourage prosecutors from the system.
