Moldovan PM-designate says government must cut out cancer of corruption from justice system

Judicial reform must continue, even if the process involves delays and difficulties, said designated Prime Minister Vasile Tofan during the today’s parliament meeting. According to him, Moldova had to choose between maintaining a deeply corrupt system and cleaning it up, and the authorities chose the second path.

“We had two options: one was to preserve a system that we knew was deeply corrupt, with judges who made decisions based on instructions from above, with prosecutors who opened cases on command, and with far too many lawyers acting as intermediaries. On the other hand, there was the path of cleaning up this same system, in the hope that we would eliminate this cancer of corruption from the justice system,” said Vasile Tofan.

The designated prime minister acknowledged that judicial reform has also generated difficulties, including delays in examining certain cases and overloading courts and prosecutors, but said that the process of cleansing the system is necessary.

“If you ask me whether the decision was the right one, I believe the decision was right. We must cut out the cancer. There are many problems in the justice system but, at the same time, I cannot ignore the fact that there are also small victories or major victories. Plahotniuc is being held at Penitentiary No. 13, Shor has been convicted, and dozens of other people have been convicted and are serving their sentences. I believe we must also acknowledge the achievements of this justice system,” Tofan stated.

He noted that the reform is not a simple process and stressed the need to continue efforts to strengthen the system.

“Obviously, there are many problems, but we must continue. This is not an easy field, and I must admit that I am not the person who has all the answers. I do not consider myself a justice expert, but I have full confidence that together we can push this cart further,” said Vasile Tofan.

For his part, the designated Minister of Justice, Vladislav Cojuhari, said that  Moldova was undergoing a complex process of institutional transformation, and judicial reform represents a cornerstone for the credibility of the state and the country’s European path.

“Today, Moldova is going through one of the most complex processes of institutional transformation in its recent history. Judicial reform represents, without exaggeration, a foundation on which the credibility of the state, the functionality of institutions, and our capacity to advance on the European path are built,” said Vladislav Cojuhari.

The designated minister also cited data on public perceptions of judicial reform. According to him, 49 per cent of respondents believe that the situation in the justice system has improved over the last three years, and 85 per cent consider judicial reform important for Moldova’s accession to the European Union.

Cojuhari added that the Ministry of Justice was working on a plan to increase the attractiveness of the profession and fill vacant positions in the system, in cooperation with representatives of justice sector institutions.

“We should also note the latest example – the Supreme Court of Justice. The institution that underwent one of the most successful reforms delivered 95 per cent of the results with less than 50 per cent of its positions filled. This means that, in the justice system, the emphasis is placed primarily on quality and only then on quantity,” said Vladislav Cojuhari.