The Association of Judges of the Republic of Moldova (AJM) issued a statement on Monday, August 28, praising Tamara Chișca-Doneva and Ion Guzun, the judges who recently resigned and were part of the panel that ordered the re-evaluation of candidates who failed the Pre-Vetting Commission. Tamara Chișca-Doneva was investigated in 2022 in a case of illicit enrichment, and Ion Guzun was previously targeted in an investigation by Ziarul de Garda.

Three days after members of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM) removed Tamara Chișca-Doneva and Ion Guzun from their posts as judges, the Association of Moldovan Judges claims the two are “outstanding representatives of Moldovan justice”.

“(…) The Association of Judges of the Republic of Moldova took note with deep respect of the honorable resignation of judges Tamara Chișca-Doneva and Ion Guzun, two outstanding representatives of Moldovan justice. Through their unquestionable professionalism, integrity and passion, both have served not only as judges but also as pillars of a robust and fair judicial system. They have been mentors and inspiration to many judges, leaving a deep imprint on the legal history of our country.

It is worth mentioning that both Mrs. Tamara Chișca-Doneva and Judge Ion Guzun were active and dedicated members of the Association of Judges of the Republic of Moldova. Their involvement has been crucial in promoting the values of the association and in the development of the judicial community. We are grateful for all their wisdom, dedication and leadership, and wish them every success and happiness in the future stages of their lives,” a statement from the Association said.

On Friday, 25 August, the SCM partially admitted the respective judges’ requests for resignation. Thus, Tamara Chișca-Doneva and Ion Guzun were dismissed from their positions as judges.

Another 20 SCJ judges resigned in spring 2023.

In March 2022, anti-corruption prosecutors raided Tamara Chisca-Doneva’s office, home and car, as she was targeted in a criminal case on illicit enrichment. As a result of the criminal prosecution, no procedural measure of constraint was applied against the magistrate. Subsequently, the judge was admitted as a suspect in the criminal case initiated for illicit enrichment. She was suspected by prosecutors that during the years 2014-2021, while holding the position of a judge, including performing administrative functions in the courts, she obtained a substantial increase in her wealth and that of her family members, which could not be reasonably justified in relation to her income from the lawful exercise of her duties in her office.

In October 2022, Tamara Chișca-Doneva was removed from the criminal prosecution in the case for illicit enrichment, but the prosecution continued at that time, with procedural actions being ordered that were not completed until 22 September 2022.

ZdG wrote in 2014 that Judge Tamara Chișca-Doneva and her husband, Vasile Chișca, lived in a house in the Râșcani sector, with two levels and an attic, estimated by real estate experts at about 7 million lei.

Ion Guzun was a member, together with magistrate Liliana Catană, of the panel that finalized the case against former Prime Minister Vladimir Filat at the Supreme Court of Justice. In 2014, Ion Guzun, who together with magistrate Liliana Catană, was part of the panel of judges at the Supreme Court of Justice that freed the interloper Ion Druță, also known as Vanea Pisateli, was sanctioned with a warning by a decision of the SCM.