The Pre-Vetting Commission announces on Tuesday, 30 May, that it has concluded the second and final round of public hearings of candidates for membership in the High Council of Prosecutors (HCC). Five candidate prosecutors and one civil society representative participated in the public interview to clarify some relevant aspects of the evaluation process.

Thus, from 24 to 29 May 2023, the candidates Gheorghe Graur (Prosecutor’s Office Chisinau), Olesea Vîrlan (Prosecutor’s Office Ialoveni), Elena Roșior (Prosecutor’s Office Anenii Noi), Eduard Panea (Prosecutor’s Office Leova), Vasile Plevan (Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office) and Rodica Ciobanu, the candidate proposed by the Academy of Sciences, were interviewed.

“Among the topics relevant to the evaluation process, addressed by the members of the Commission during the hearings, were the source of financial means used by the candidates to purchase goods and property, the difference between the income obtained and the expenses incurred, as well as the non-reflection of certain issues in the declarations of assets and interests submitted to the National Integrity Authority. Commission members also asked questions relating to the ethical integrity of the candidates, and these parts were examined in closed session where there was a risk that the privacy of the candidate, their family members or other persons involved might be touched,” Commission representatives said.

A total of 13 candidates participated in the two rounds of hearings and only one candidate requested to be assessed solely on the basis of the material gathered by the Commission, opting not to attend the hearings in open session.

The Pre-Vetting Commission says it will prepare and approve the evaluation decisions on the evaluated candidates in the coming period. At the same time, as of 18 May, the Commission started the evaluation of a new group of nine non-judicial candidates for membership of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), proposed by the Parliament.

According to the Pre-Vetting Commission, 18 candidates have applied for membership of the SPC, including 17 prosecutors from the General Prosecutor’s Office, territorial and specialised prosecutors’ offices and one civil society representative. Of these, so far one candidate has passed the assessment and 13 other candidates are awaiting the decision of the Pre-Vetting Commission. Four candidates for the PSC did not pass the assessment because they withdrew from the competition or did not submit the mandatory documents required by law within the prescribed time limits.