Chișinău, March 31, 2025 – The Prosecutor Vetting Commission submitted its annual activity report to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, in accordance with art. 5 para. (3) of Law No. 252/2023 on the external evaluation of judges and prosecutors.
The report reflects the activities carried out throughout 2024, including the finalisation of evaluations under the “pre-vetting” procedure for candidates for self-administration bodies of the prosecution service, the initiation of evaluations of prosecutors within the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, as well as institutional and logistical challenges that influenced the Commission’s pace of work.
Key highlights from the report
Completion of evaluations conducted under the “pre-vetting” procedure, pursuant to Law No. 26/2022
The Commission evaluated 32 candidates for positions within the Selection and Evaluation Board and the Disciplinary and Ethics Board of the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP).
Results:
- 15 candidates passed the evaluation (47%)
- 17 candidates did not pass the evaluation (53%)
The most common grounds for failure included (1) the non-submission of the required five-year declaration and ethics questionnaire, (2) violations of the legal regime for declaring assets and personal interests, (3) reaches of the Prosecutor’s Code of Ethics or the European Convention on Human Rights, (4) doubts concerning discrepancies between declared income and expenses, (5) doubts regarding the authenticity of declared purchase prices for various assets
Initiation of evaluations for prosecutors from the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office
Following the submission of a list of 67 prosecutors by the SCP, the Commission initiated evaluation procedures by analyzing asset and interest declarations, ethics questionnaires, and other relevant data. As of the reporting date, 53 evaluations are in progress.
Evaluation of the Deputy Prosecutor General
The Commission initiated the evaluation of the nominee for the position of Deputy Prosecutor General. This process is currently ongoing.
Operational challenges and transition of international support
The Commission’s activities were significantly affected by institutional challenges, including a shortage of specialized staff within the Secretariat, which is essential for conducting investigations. In January 2025, logistical and financial support from the U.S. Government was abruptly suspended, resulting in a temporary standstill of operations. Subsequently, in February 2025, the European Union assumed the role of development partner for the Commission. However, the transition was delayed due to coordination difficulties with the former implementer.
The full report is available on the Commission’s official website: www.vettingmd.org