The Minister of Justice, Sergiu Litvinenco met today with the Chief Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, Mrs. Laura Codruta Kövesi, who is on a visit to Chisinau. During the meeting, officials discussed judicial reforms, the independence of the judiciary and the Prosecutor's Office, the fight against corruption, the mechanisms for recovering and capitalizing on goods and assets obtained from corruption offences, including those hidden abroad.
Subsequently, the Minister of Justice and the Chief Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor's Office held a joint press conference. In his speech, Sergiu Litvinenco remarked that we are interested in the experience of Mrs. Kövesi in the position of Chief Prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), given the successes achieved by DNA in investigating the great corruption in Romania. "In fact, as for the citizens of Romania, for the citizens of our country, DNA is a benchmark of the fight against corruption, and you have a decisive merit in shaping this reality. We also want to have a system of anti-corruption institutions in Chisinau, which will be functional over time and withstand possible attacks to which it may be subjected", said the Minister of Justice.
Sergiu Litvinenco welcomed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the General Prosecutor's Office and the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which will take place tomorrow and will facilitate operational cooperation in the fight against financial fraud and smuggling and provide the opportunity to find effective methods to fight against corruption.
At the end, the Minister of Justice mentioned: “I remember how in July 2018, you addressed the Romanian people with the urge not to give up the fight against corruption, which can be defeated. For us, those in the Republic of Moldova were difficult times, when corruption was at the top of the kleptocratic regime, which seemed undefeatable. As for me, these words were like encouragement and a call for action. The experience of other states, but exactly the experience of the Republic of Moldova indicates that there is a direct link between corruption and the degradation of institutions, between corruption and poverty and lack of economic performance. That is why zero tolerance for corruption in all its expressions is our only chance to become a modern, free and prosperous state. And we will take this fight to the end, because it is the project of our generation”.
During the discussion, but also in the message sent during the press conference, the European Chief Prosecutor expressed her openness to support us in our efforts to fight corruption, including at the level of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. At the same time, Mrs. Kövesi mentioned that justice reform and the fight against corruption cannot happen spontaneously. Large corruption cases cannot be investigated in a month, two or half a year. This requires time, a lot of work and strengthened efforts from all institutions. Likewise, the head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office reaffirmed that the fight against corruption is an ongoing fight, which requires the involvement of every citizen, not just the authorities.
