In the context of applications submitted by candidates for the post of Prosecutor General, Ion Munteanu, Igor Demciucin and Octavian Iachimovsci, the Superior Council of Prosecutors (SCP) decided at its meeting on 28 February to publish the total score per candidate’s file. This is the arithmetic average of the scores awarded for each criterion by each member of the Council who assessed the candidate.

From the results published by the SCP, Acting Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu received his lowest score of 3.5 from SCP member Olesea Vîrlan, and the highest – from SCP President Dumitru Obadă, 9.5.

Igor Demciucin received the lowest score from SCP member Elena Rosioru – 7.8. Olesea Virlan gave Demciucin the highest score – 9.3.

Octavian Iachimovschi, who was selected by the SCP to be evaluated by the Vetting Commission and submitted to the President for appointment, was rated 9 and above by four of the nine members.

Acting President of the Superior Council of Magistracy Sergiu Caraman and SCP member Andrei Cebotari gave the highest score to Iachimovschi and the lowest to Andrei Coca.

Most SCP members, including Justice Minister Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, SCP President Dumitru Obada and members Eduard Panea, Elena Rosior and Svetalana Balmuș gave the most points to Ion Munteanu and the fewest to Andrei Coca.

CSP member Rodica Ciobanu gave Iachimovschi and Munteanu the same score – 9.16.

Earlier, in a comment to ZdG, Ion Munteanu said that he submitted two requests to the SCP, one asking for the release of copies of the candidates’ evaluation sheets, filled in by SCP members, and the second – their publication on the SCP website. The Acting Attorney General said he had no doubts about the “fairness of the scoring”.

“I request the release of copies of the evaluation sheets of the SCP members in relation to me, as well as the other candidates and their publication on public sources. I want the awarding of marks to the candidates for the position of Prosecutor General by the members of the SCP to be made public (…) At the moment I have no doubt about the fairness of the awarding of the marks, I just want to be satisfied that the marks are awarded correctly, equivalent to the other averages awarded by the other members. I just want to satisfy myself that things are exactly as announced in all respects. I do not intend to contest it. I am fine with the results announced by the SCP,” said Ion Munteanu.

On 22 February, the SCP meeting held the interview of candidates in the competition for the post of Prosecutor General. According to the Regulation on the organisation and conduct of the competition, the candidate for the position of Prosecutor General is evaluated during the interview session on the basis of a form, which includes the following criteria:

• the concept of management and institutional development;
• b) motivation for taking up the post of Prosecutor General;
• c) professional experience and competence;
• d) ability to analyse critically and communicate publicly;
• e) institutional commitment to professional values;
• (f) integrity, ethics and good reputation.

Following the interview procedure on the basis of the pre-established assessment criteria, the Council decided to award the following final marks:

• Octavian Iachimovschi – 8.53;
• Igor Demciucin – 8.19;
• Ion Munteanu – 8.16;
• Andrei Coca – 4.72.

Thus, the CSP took note of the average score per candidate. Anti-corruption prosecutor Octavian Iachimovschi , the one with the highest score, is to be evaluated by the Vetting Commission, and if he passes the evaluation of financial and ethical integrity, he will be appointed as Prosecutor General.

Octavian Iachimovschi began his career with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (PA) in June 2011. He held the position of acting deputy to the head of the PA, but in December 2019 the then Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo suspended his appointment order on the grounds that he needed to focus on the Bank Fraud case. In September 2022, he sent a request to the then acting Prosecutor General Dumitru Robu, asking for his withdrawal and the appointment of another head of the prosecution group in the “Bank Fraud” case. As of March 2023, Iachimovschi returns to the position of acting deputy head of the PA, at the proposal of acting Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu. In 2022, Iachimovschi ran for head of the PA, coming second with 53.01 points, while Veronica Dragalin scored 72.15 points and was elected head of the institution.

During 2020, four disciplinary proceedings were initiated against Prosecutor Iachimovschi regarding alleged disciplinary misconduct admitted in the exercise of duties in the framework of criminal prosecution and one disciplinary proceeding for alleged actions in violation of ethical rules that damaged the honour and prestige of the Prosecutor’s Office. The cases were merged into a single proceeding, which was subsequently terminated.

Iachimovschi is listed as a founder of the Association of Prosecutors for Order and Justice, formed in September 2019. Prosecutors Dumitru Obada and Yuri Lealin are two other co-founders of the Association, which, according to its statute, was created “with a view to jointly achieving goals aimed at fostering a constructive inter-institutional dialogue, as well as with civil society, which would contribute to the building of a Rule of Law for the triumph of the desires of justice and equity”.