The ZdG exhibition “Corruption and War”, hosted by the National Museum of History, was visited on Tuesday, December 20, by anti-corruption prosecutors, led by the head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office, Veronica Drăgălin.

Veronica Drăgălin, head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA), praised the ZdG exhibition and mentioned the importance of the work of investigative journalists and the mutual support between journalists and prosecutors as allies in the fight against corruption.

“We recognize very well that investigative journalists in Moldova are doing a very very difficult and important job for our society. That is why we, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, self-examine when we see something, including, in an article that is published. And we have had criminal cases, especially this year, that have been started based on journalistic investigations. I hope that we together with journalists in Moldova can be allies in the fight against corruption, because we should support each other. We, as a public institution, when we make a wrong step, we still want journalists to have this role to tell us that they disagree, but when we succeed and do a good thing with reference to corruption, we would very much appreciate it if this message is also conveyed to society. Because just as it is very hard work for journalists, it is not easy to be a prosecutor in the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office nowadays. We have very high expectations from our society, but it is very much felt that there is a lack of trust. What about the exhibition, to see the history of corruption in the last year in Moldova, exposed in a visual way was very interesting for me. Especially since we also recognise material from the files that the prosecutors are working on that are here. I think we can communicate to the public in such a way, it is very creative and very interesting”, said Veronica Dragălin, Head of the Anticorruption Prosecution Office.

Mihail Ivanov, acting deputy head of the PA, reiterated the importance of journalists’ work and said that the PA has often taken action following the publication of journalistic investigations and that many cases in recent years have been based on journalistic material.

“You are indeed doing a very important thing and a great thing that matters to us. I hope that we will reach a day when we will work so well that you will not have any more material and you will only write about our work,” said Mihail Ivanov, acting deputy head of the PA.

Petru Iarmaliuc, anti-corruption prosecutor, spoke about the courage of journalists, but also about the realities of decision-making in the PA at certain times.

“The courage of prosecutors is lacking compared to that of journalists, because you are transparent, you have the ability to be courageous, you are not afraid of anything, you don’t have bosses telling you what to write about or how to write. Unfortunately, Moldova has gone through a period when it was decided otherwise, we must admit, we should not be afraid. Therefore, the obligation of each of us is to be honest, not to take bribes, to expose corruption and the special obligation of prosecutors is to fight for the truth even if it is dangerous”, said Petru Iarmaliuc.

On 9 December, International Anti-Corruption Day, the Guard newspaper inaugurated the exhibition “Corruption and War”. The exhibition, hosted by the National Museum of History, will run until 29 December 2022, inclusive, and is open to anyone curious to learn about the impact of corruption in Moldova and investigative journalism. The exhibition frames more than 100 exhibits from the national and international press of 2022, bringing visitors face to face with the direct questions: is corruption a cause of war? Could fighting corruption prevent wars? Can there be peace without integrity and transparency?

The exhibition is divided into several zones: the Corridor of National Corruption, the Circle of War, the Moldovan-Russian Caracat and the Tunnel of Light. The exhibits represent press articles, documents, images, photos, diagrams, collages made by ZdG and other editorial offices in Moldova and around the world. It is suitable for groups of pupils, students, librarians, families with children, but also for anyone interested in the current situation in the region and the efforts of investigative journalists.