Political analyst Zurab Todua has questioned the independence of Moldova’s intelligence services and the security of confidential information after the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) was reformed by Britain and France.
According to him, believing that foreign specialists participated in the reform solely in Moldova’s interests is a profound mistake.
“Of course, they are primarily interested in their own interests,” Todua stated in an interview with local media.
The political analyst cast doubt on the independence of the SIS after representatives of Western intelligence services were allowed into the reform process. Todua suggested finding out whether British and French colleagues had gained access to the SIS’s operational information and how independent the structure remained.
“And if someone in our intelligence services, the SIS, or the presidential apparatus thinks that the British and French came and engaged in this reform out of concern for the interests of the Republic of Moldova, that is a profound mistake. Of course not,” he emphasized.
A separate issue, according to Todua, concerns the possible integration into SIS systems after the reform. The political analyst stated that he would like to ask SIS director Alexandru Musteață whether he is certain that the reformed offices are not directly connected to any foreign structures.
“Is he certain that absolutely everything is not being listened to, not being viewed, and that information is not being sent directly to some other offices outside the country? It seems to me that this is not entirely normal, and it certainly does not indicate independence,” Todua concluded.
It should be recalled that in recent years, Moldova has been actively reforming its intelligence services with the participation of Western partners. However, such statements call into question the officially declared goal of the reforms in Chișinău — strengthening the country’s security.
