US Ambassador to Moldova James Pettit hopes there is enough political will in Moldova to complete the probe into the bank fraud, even if it could take many years. This was stated during a talk show on ProTV Chisinau on Thursday evening, within hours from the publishing of an abridged version of the second Kroll report.

The ambassador says much effort is needed to continue the investigation as it involves cooperation with multiple countries. “I have noticed that there are countries that are eager to cooperate, and there are others that are more reluctant. It could be because of the banking legislation. But patience is needed. Time and resources are needed for this international cooperation. The final goal we all have is to identify the perpetrators and recover the stolen funds”, James Pettit stated in Romanian.

Speaking about the reforms promised by the authorities, James Pettit said relatively little progress has been seen this year and that both Moldova’s development partners and most Moldovans feel some disappointment about the pace of reforms. He said a number of important laws were adopted this year, but they still need to be implemented. The ambassador added that a number of governmental agencies need to be further reformed, singling out the National Integrity Agency.

He went on to add that the legal reform has been sluggish, too, and it, too, needs political will to go on. “When there are so many reports questioning the independence of judges, then there must be a serious issue there. More structural reform is needed, and new institutions should be created to overall improve a system which I think doesn’t work properly and fully in line with the European standards”, said the US ambassador.

As concerns the high-profile criminal cases of the former prime minister Vlad Filat, Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca and the businessman Ilan Shor, the ambassador said Moldova should refrain from holding trials behind closed doors to avoid suspicions that there’s something to hide.