Draft law remains under discussion
The draft law on the creation of the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Corruption and Organised Crime (PACCO) is still under review at the Ministry of Justice of Moldova.
According to PAS MP Igor Chiriac, the document is being discussed with the Superior Council of Prosecutors, but no final decisions have been made.
“The PACCO law is being discussed at the Ministry of Justice. At the moment, there is no concrete information, as it still needs to be reviewed with the Superior Council of Prosecutors,” Chiriac stated.
Resignation of anti-corruption chief adds to tensions
The debate follows the resignation of Veronica Dragalin, former head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, in February.
In her resignation letter addressed to the Prosecutor General, she stated:
“Since the authors’ arguments are based on false premises and followed repeated public criticism from both the legislative and executive authorities regarding my work as chief prosecutor, I consider this legislative initiative to be a direct consequence of my tenure in this position.”
Concerns from European institutions
The proposed reform has drawn criticism from international bodies, including the Venice Commission and experts from the Council of Europe.
They warned that dissolving existing specialised prosecutor’s offices could weaken efforts to combat serious crime and recommended considering less disruptive alternatives.
Legislative process continues
Despite criticism, the draft law passed its first reading in Parliament on February 20.
The reform aims to merge existing structures into a single institution focused on corruption and organised crime cases. However, discussions are ongoing, and the final shape of the reform remains uncertain.
