Corruption combating actions did not produce perceptible results in 2012, experts

Moldova’s rating in different international rankings on corruption combating increased in 2012. However, the formal actions taken did not lead to perceptible, long-term changes, said a group of experts from Chisinau, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. In a roundtable meeting, Igor Botan, executive director of the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT), said that the efficient reformation of the National Anticorruption Center was prejudiced by postponing the adoption of necessary legal and normative documents, by politicizing the process of choosing the Center’s administration by contest and by not ensuring the functionality of the Center’s college and inspection bodies. Nevertheless, in 2012 the Center worked out and adopted innovatory anticorruption regulations. According to Igor Botan, one of the greatest failures of last year was the constitution and functioning of the National Integrity Commission. The new anticorruption polices did not contribute to the solving of loud criminal cases involving judges and public servants, though corruption perceptions in the legal and governmental systems persisted. “The continuous politicization of the state institutions, the non-admission at official level of the persistence of corruption in the legal system and the rejection of some anticorruption polices are among the serious concerns. The shortcomings concerning the prevention and combating of political corruption and the financing of political parties and election campaigns need increased attention,” said Igor Botan. The opinions stated within the monitoring performed by the Association for Participatory Democracy and the Analytical Center “Expert-Grup” referred to the reforms implemented in the political, legal and economic spheres in 2012.