Maia Sandu pushes for stronger fight against political corruption
President Maia Sandu is calling for a stronger fight against political corruption and enhanced national security through the reinforcement of anticorruption institutions and the tightening of laws to punish those involved in political and electoral corruption.
These recommendations were made following the Supreme Security Council meeting on January 20.
Political corruption remains one of the biggest threats to democracy in the Republic of Moldova, according to President Maia Sandu. She stated that attempts to manipulate the 2024 elections in the fall exposed Moldova’s vulnerabilities to efforts aimed at influencing the will of its citizens.
"For too long, political corruption has been overlooked, and in some cases even tolerated. This allowed organized criminal groups to recruit more and more people into actions that undermine national security," the President declared.
To date, the National Anticorruption Center (CNA) has imposed administrative sanctions for electoral bribery worth 10.8 million lei and initiated 30 criminal cases, four of which have been forwarded to court. The CNA also identified 57 individuals involved in the illegal distribution of financial resources—activities allegedly coordinated by a criminal group led by Ilan Șor, who was definitively convicted of banking fraud.
It is important to note that Parliament has adopted a legislative amendment package in its first reading, aimed at strengthening legal tools to combat political corruption. These amendments, which have been subject to public consultations, are expected to be approved in the second reading.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
