Expert: Prosecutor General appointment process must be accelerated
The president of the Moldovan Legal Resources Center, Ilie Chirtoacă, warns that appointing a new Prosecutor General with full authority could take more than six months. After the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP) designates an interim Prosecutor General, a new competition will be held, and the required vetting procedure must be completed. This lengthy process poses a risk of keeping the Prosecutor General's Office in an extended interim period, especially during an election year.
According to previous estimates, the procedure for appointing a new chief prosecutor lasts at least three months, provided there are candidates available. Additionally, the individual who secures this position must undergo a vetting process, which, based on statistics, takes a minimum of six months. This leads to rather bleak forecasts unless a candidate who has already passed the vetting process is identified for the role. The pool of individuals who have completed this procedure is quite small, indicating that the interim period may be extended unless a suitable candidate emerges from the existing system, explains Chirtoacă.
Although the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP) announced that it will designate an interim prosecutor general within five days and initiate a new competition for the position with a full mandate, experts believe that the delay in appointment could hinder the institution's ability to respond effectively to the challenges presented during the electoral period. Chirtoacă states, “The fact that we are essentially taking the first step now signifies stagnation,” emphasizing that “there must be mobilization.”
Chirtoacă notes that while an interim prosecutor possesses the same legal powers as a permanent one, the absence of a stable mandate diminishes the level of commitment and impacts the management of the system. He said, “There will be an interim. We hope it will be for a very short time. However, if we consider the laws governing the prosecutor’s office, an interim prosecutor has the same powers and could achieve similar outcomes. The difference lies in the stability of a seven-year mandate. The lack of a plenipotentiary prosecutor, based on past experiences, results in diminished responsibility. This is a significant issue, especially with elections approaching, the risk of political and electoral corruption, a war on our borders, and the prevalence of disinformation. The public is waiting, and they demand accountability from the prosecutor general. Even if he isn't directly processing files, he is responsible for organizing the system. Effective leadership is essential for the proper functioning of this system.”
The position of prosecutor general became vacant in May after Ion Munteanu was dismissed from office by presidential decree at the CSP's request.
Ion Munteanu resigned from the position of Prosecutor General, after being appointed judge at the Supreme Court of Justice. The head of state signed a decree to this effect on May 23. The decree entered into force after its publication in the Official Gazette.
We remind you that Ion Munteanu was selected by the Superior Council of Magistracy as a judge at the SCM following the meeting on May 15. He has a law degree and a master's degree in economic law. His career began in 2006. Between 2010 and 2018, he worked at the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office. For a period, he also held the position of deputy head of the PA. He served as Prosecutor General for less than a year, since June 2024.
