The Prosecutor Vetting Commission has concluded its hearings dedicated to the leadership of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office (APO), as part of the extraordinary external evaluation process. The final member of the management team to be heard was Victor Muntean, Interim Deputy Chief Prosecutor, who appeared before the Commission on Friday, 11 July.
During the hearing, the evaluation panel members engaged in a dialogue with the prosecutor to clarify certain aspects of his evaluation file. Victor Muntean had the opportunity to provide additional explanations and useful details to support the information under review.
Victor Muntean described the external evaluation as “a new and complex procedure” and expressed gratitude to his family for “their encouragement throughout this challenging process, which is taking place for the first time in Moldova.
The Commission previously heard the other members of the APO leadership: – Interim Chief Prosecutor Marcel Dumbravan, and Interim Deputy Chief Prosecutors Octavian Iachimovschi and Mariana Leahu. With this, the entire management team of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office has completed the hearing stage of the evaluation process.
Also on 11 July, Gheorghe Caragia, a prosecutor with the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, appeared before the Commission. His hearing similarly focused on clarifying specific details in his evaluation file.
Gheorghe Caragia wished his colleagues well as they navigate the hearings: “It’s a stressful process, but we hope to get through it successfully,” he said.
The hearings are a key step in the evaluation process, giving the Commission the chance to directly question prosecutors and address any uncertainties regarding their professional activity and integrity. At the same time, prosecutors can present their side and submit any additional relevant information in support of their evaluation.
After the hearing, the Commission has up to 30 working days to issue a reasoned report stating whether the prosecutor has passed or failed the evaluation. The Superior Council of Prosecutors will then review the report in a public session and issue a final decision.
