Less corruption among police, official statistics

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has reported a nearly threefold drop in the number of discovered cases of corruption among police officers – to 34 from 84 last year, Info-Prim Neo reports. Iurie Maximov, head of the Ministry's Internal Investigation Department, told a Tuesday news conference that the Ministry had adopted a zero-tolerance approach to corruption. “The Ministry and the specialized department are monitoring each case of corruption and none of them is tolerated. In all the cases, internal investigations are started and proceedings are initiated, and when police officers are caught red-handed, they are prosecuted and suspended”, said Maximov. A study on corruption conducted by the Internal Investigation Department showed that in 24 cases when cars were pulled over for traffic violations, only 2 drivers didn't propose bribes to the officers in a bid to avoid tickets. “We need to work closer with society so that we can get rid of this scourge”, stated Maximov. Traffic Police chief Sergiu Armasu said that normally the officers involved in corruption or abuses are fired by the order of the Ministry, yet sometimes they are reinstated by court. Currently the Ministry has 60 vacancies as a result of dismissals related to corruption or misconduct in office.