Moldova prosecutors reject parliament chief's vetting claims
Moldova's Superior Council of Prosecutors rejected accusations by Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu on Wednesday, denying allegations that the body undermines judicial vetting by refusing to rubber-stamp commission reports.
Parliament speaker challenges council integrity
The institutional clash erupted after Grosu criticized the council during a televised interview on September 9, arguing that decisions to clear prosecutors flagged by external evaluators damage the credibility of judicial reform.
“When non-promotion recommendations arrive repeatedly... and the CSP insists on moving forward, this damages the credibility of the institution itself and of the vetting process, for which we spend substantial resources,” said Grosu. He contrasted the prosecutors' council with the Superior Council of Magistracy, praising judges for making tougher integrity decisions.
The CSP firmly rejected both the criticism and the language used by the speaker, including remarks alleging that members “raise their little hands” and that “the guild builds a wall.”
“The Commission's report represents an essential procedural element, but it does not automatically predetermine the CSP's decision,” the Council said in a statement. “The Council is not called upon to formally confirm every conclusion of the Commission, but to effectively exercise its statutory competence and adopt a reasoned decision based on the entire case file.”
Evaluation report rejected in Victor Cazacu case
Hours after issuing its response, the CSP unanimously rejected for a second time an adverse vetting evaluation regarding anticorruption prosecutor Victor Cazacu, declining to order his dismissal.
The dispute centered on property valuation. Cazacu declared purchasing an apartment for approx. €30,600 (614,000 MDL) and spending €10,500 (210,000 MDL) on renovations.
The evaluation commission relied on an internal bank appraisal form from 2014 that estimated the minimum property value at approx. €41,600 (835,000 MDL), concluding that the prosecutor had understated the purchase price. The CSP ruled that the bank document did not provide sufficient evidentiary grounds to dismiss the prosecutor.
Vetting progress across prosecution offices
The comprehensive vetting of Moldovan prosecutors began in 2024 and covers 129 officials across key departments, a core prerequisite for the country's European Union accession negotiations.
To date, the CSP has adopted definitive decisions in 39 cases, representing 30.2% of all targeted prosecutors, according to institutional data provided to Moldova 1.
A total of 33 prosecutors have successfully passed the evaluation, including 31 from the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office and two from the Prosecutor General's Office. Six prosecutors failed the review: four anticorruption prosecutors, one general prosecutor, and one acting territorial chief.
The vetting process has yet to yield definitive rulings for the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), where none of the 63 eligible prosecutors have received final evaluations. An additional 45 cases await council examination, five are undergoing re-evaluation following CSP rejections, and one procedure remains suspended.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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