Ministry of Justice Proposes to Merge the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office with PCCOCS

The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS) may be reorganized through a merger. This was announced by the Minister of Justice Veronica Mihailov-Moraru during a briefing today. According to the head of the Ministry of Justice, this measure is aimed at improving the effectiveness of the fight against organized crime, corruption and money laundering, deschide.md. Thus, the new body will operate in two directions – the fight against corruption and organized crime. “Criminal groups commit a wide range of crimes, from corruption and illegal party financing to money laundering, mass riots and the use of violence. However, different law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation of these crimes, and currently there is no single body that would have a complete picture of all the crimes committed. Therefore, it is extremely important that the Republic of Moldova has a comprehensive and adapted response to these challenges in order to effectively protect democracy and the rule of law,” Veronica Mihailov-Moraru said. According to her, another short-term solution may be to transfer all major corruption and organized crime cases to the jurisdiction of the Anticorruption and Money Laundering Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office. To increase the efficiency of its operation, it is planned to strengthen the department at the expense of employees of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office and PCCOCS. According to the Minister, these proposals will be submitted to the Parliament, the Superior Council of Prosecutors and other competent authorities for consideration.