New rules for corruption and organized crime investigations

The competences of institutions involved in investigating corruption, financial fraud, and organized crime cases will be clearly defined. A draft law to this effect was adopted today in the first reading by 57 members of Parliament.

The legislative initiative was presented in the plenary session by Minister of Justice Vladislav Cojuhari, and aims to make mechanisms for combating these offenses more efficient. The document, drafted by the Ministry of Justice, sets new rules for allocating cases between the National Anticorruption Center (CNA), the Anticorruption Prosecution Office, and the Prosecution Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS).

The Minister of Justice explained in the plenary that the amendments are necessary to eliminate overlaps in competence and to focus institutional resources on complex cases.

“The goal is to clearly delineate the competences of the institutions involved, so that each can focus on its area of expertise and on truly complex cases,” the cited source stated.

According to the draft, the CNA will investigate exclusively serious cases of bank fraud in which the damage exceeds 250 average monthly salaries in the economy. Cases involving smaller damages will be examined by tax authorities, while the CNA will also have the competence to investigate money laundering as an autonomous offense.

The Anticorruption Prosecution Office will handle high-level corruption cases, including those involving senior officials such as the President of the country, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, members of Parliament, judges, and the leadership of law enforcement and security institutions.

At the same time, the PCCOCS will be responsible for cases of terrorism, organized crime, and other particularly serious offenses, with minor cases being removed from its remit. The State Tax Service and the Customs Service will take over small-scale economic, financial, and customs cases, in accordance with the law.

The draft also provides for the creation of joint investigative teams in complex cases, to ensure more effective cooperation between investigative institutions. In addition, the right to challenge preventive measures is extended to cover all stages of criminal proceedings, up until the final judgment on the merits is delivered.

According to the authors, the amendments are part of the commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova in the process of European integration. The draft law is to be examined in the second reading.