Law requiring public officials to submit income statements is 'imperfect'

Some public officials completed incorrectly their declarations of income and assets because of the imperfect legislation, according to the members of the Control Commission, who added that the new law, adopted in December 2011, will remove the erroneous interpretations of the legislation. Control Commission chair, MP Veaceslav Ionita, noted that in 20 years since independence hundreds of officials have failed to show their incomes, but only in five cases proceedings were started. Ionita went on to add that each year judges and prosecutors fail to declare their incomes citing a busy agenda. The new law, which enters into effect on March 1, establishes the National Integrity Commission. Its function will be to verify the statements submitted by the officials, report violations and take legal action. MP Oxana Domenti, member of the Control Commission, said that often officials submit inaccurate statements not necessarily with a malevolent intent, but rather because the law allows for misinterpretations. “Some declare their gross income, while others their net income, that is before taxation, because the law is unclear here. There are also many problems related to what time period the declarations should be for”. The deadline for submitting income declarations expired on January 31, and 1,256 officials met it. Roughly 95% of the statements were submitted on the last day. Under the Criminal Code, the officials who fail to report their incomes and assets on time face a fine ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 lei. Intentional submission of inaccurate information is punishable by deprivation of the right to hold public posts for a period of up to 5 years.