The Prosecutor Vetting Commission held hearings on Thursday and Friday for four prosecutors as part of the external evaluation process conducted under Law No. 252/2023. One of the prosecutors was heard as part of a re-evaluation procedure.
The first hearing concerned Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Alexandru Cernei, whose case is undergoing re-evaluation. The re-evaluation procedure was initiated after, on September 12, 2025, the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) rejected the Commission’s report that had proposed that he pass the evaluation. After the procedure was resumed, Evaluation Panel B collected additional information and addressed two rounds of written questions to the subject. Following its review of the materials, the Panel did not identify any concerns regarding compliance with the integrity criteria. In the absence of new circumstances, the Commission is expected to adopt an evaluation report proposing that the prosecutor pass the assessment.
“Although I did not support extending the evaluation process by another six months, it provided an opportunity to clarify the issues that led the SCP to reject the report. I thank the Commission for its effort to objectively examine those circumstances,” Alexandru Cernei stated.
The Commission then heard Veaceslav Potînga of the Chișinău Municipal Prosecutor’s Office and Eduard Varzar of the Prosecutor General’s Office, both evaluated in their capacity as former prosecutors of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Prior to the hearings, they responded to four rounds of written questions from Evaluation Panels F and B aimed at clarifying information collected during the evaluation process. During the hearings, panel members asked questions related to concerns about potentially unjustified assets for several years within the evaluation period. The prosecutors were given the opportunity to provide explanations and supporting evidence.
On Friday, the Commission heard Prosecutor Ghenadie Pîrlii of the Prosecutor General’s Office. At the stage preceding the hearing, Evaluation Panel F collected information about the subject and persons close to him to verify compliance with the integrity criteria. The Panel also addressed four rounds of written questions, to which the subject timely responded. During the hearing, Panel members sought clarification regarding concerns related to ethical and financial integrity.
The subject also requested that the matter concerning a discontinued criminal case be examined in a closed hearing, given the potential impact on ongoing criminal proceedings. After considering the reasons and arguments presented, the Panel deliberated and decided to hear the subject on this matter in a closed session.
Video recordings of the hearings (public parts) will be available within three days on the Commission’s website: https://vettingmd.org/en/commission-activity/hearings/. The evaluation reports for the four prosecutors, which will include the Commission’s proposal on the outcome of the external evaluation, will be issued within 30 working days.