Who exactly the Prosecutor Vetting Commission is to evaluate?

Ever wondered who exactly the Prosecutor Vetting Commission is to evaluate? As per Law 252/2023, the Commission was tasked to vet the senior and specialized Moldovan prosecutors as well as candidates for these positions. This includes the positions of Prosecutor General, Deputy Prosecutor General, and chief prosecutors of General Prosecutor’s Office subdivisions.

Vetting also applies to territorial chief and deputy chief prosecutors, and the specialized prosecutors as well, meaning prosecutors from Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office (APO) and from the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS).

The Commission is also mandated to continue the evaluation of the candidates to the Superior Council of Prosecutors who applied for these positions after September 1, 2023, and its Boards. The evaluation of these candidates is governed by Law 26/2022 provisions.

Currently, the Prosecutor Vetting Commission is evaluating 28 candidates from both the prosecution service and civil society who are seeking appointment for the SCP’s Selection and Evaluation Board and Disciplinary and Ethics Board. To date, the Prosecutor Vetting Commission has failed 4 candidates to the SCP boards (candidates who withdrew from the competition or failed to submit the required declarations).

All evaluations conducted by the Commission are limited solely to ethical and financial integrity. The Commission does not evaluate the candidates’ professionalism.