{"id":1820,"date":"2019-10-14T22:16:17","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T20:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/?p=1820"},"modified":"2019-10-14T22:16:19","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T20:16:19","slug":"moldova-explained-by-zdg-october-14-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/moldova-explained-by-zdg-october-14-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Moldova, Explained by ZdG. October 14, 2019."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>HAPPENING THIS WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greetings from Chi\u0219in\u0103u on its \u201cbirthday\u201d! Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening this week: our feature breaks down the many moving pieces in the \u201ctheft of the century\u201d investigation and explains why the new government has gone after the smaller fraudsters first. In an editorial, ZdG commemorates the lives of journalists like Anna Politkovskaya and Jan Kuciak, who died fighting against corruption. We also asked the experts why Moldova\u2019s justice system is so resistant to reforms. In weekly investigations we breakdown the criminal case opened against Moldova\u2019s biggest oligarch \u2013 former Democratic Party (PDM) Leader Vlad Plahotniuc. All of that and more in this week\u2019s newsletter. Happy reading!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>THIS WEEK\u2019S FEATURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>GRAND THEFT MOLDOVA: <\/strong>Moldova\u2019s new governing coalition is held together by the fight against oligarch corruption, making punishing the culprits involved in the \u201ctheft of the century\u201d and recovering the billion dollars in defrauded assets a top priority. And while the fight began with catching smaller accomplices in the scheme, the case may have reached a turning point this week. The Anticorruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office officially launched a criminal case for large-scale money laundering against oligarch and former PDM leader Vladimir Plahotniuc, who allegedly created a number of domestic and foreign companies through intermediaries, which allowed him to launder vast sums of money obtained through illicit loans from three Moldovan banks. But in a case involving nearly $2.9 billion in loans, uncovering Plahotniuc\u2019s actual role in the fraud \u2013 which reportedly includes $18 million and \u20ac3.5 million \u2013 is just one part of the puzzle. ZDG breaks down how the <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/investigative\/fugitive-oligarch-wanted-in-moldovas-theft-of-the-century-case\">investigation<\/a> has progressed so far.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>FROM THE EDITORS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CORRUPTION KILLS: <\/strong>In this week\u2019s editorial <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/political\/how-corruption-kills\">ZdG Executive Director Alina Radu<\/a> explores how deadly the fight with corruption can be, shining a light on courageous journalists like Anna Politkovskaya of Russian independent newspaper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.novayagazeta.ru\/articles\/2019\/10\/09\/82292-russia-explained-5-by-novaya-gazeta\">Novaya Gazeta<\/a>, who died fighting corruption. But just as there are people who die defending the well-being of others in the fight against corruption, there are those who die having served it, covering up corrupt schemes, defending abusers and oligarchs. \u201cAnd while bank accounts will not earn you a place in anyone\u2019s heart, fighting for truth and equal rights will,\u201d Radu says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>JUSTICE BY EUROPEAN STANDARDS:<\/strong> At last week\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.venice.coe.int\/webforms\/documents\/?pdf=CDL-PL-OJ(2019)003ann-e\">plenary session<\/a>, the Venice Commission, Europe\u2019s leading legal review body, had several draft laws aiming to reform Moldova\u2019s justice on their agenda. In an attempt to find out more about the health of the country\u2019s justice system, <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/investigative\/poll-why-is-moldovas-justice-so-resistant-to-reforms\">we asked the experts<\/a>, why is Moldovan justice so resistant to reforms? Two of the experts claim that the members of the old regime in the justice system are the ones resisting the reforms and they have to be changed, while the other two say that the governing parties in Moldova are making reforms \u201cfor show.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>THE FOREIGN BRIEF<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>E.U. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:<\/strong> With a two-year delay, the <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/ip_19_6060\">European Union<\/a> approved a \u20ac30 million macro-financial assistance disbursement for Moldova on October 10. Made up of one third grants and two thirds loans, this is the first of three planned disbursements under the Macro-Financial Assistance program adopted in September 2017, totaling up to \u20ac100 million. Similar to the IMF program, this E.U. money is conditional on the democratic mechanisms as well as the country\u2019s track record in the IMF program. The aid was put on hold following the controversy over invalidating the 2018 Chi\u0219in\u0103u elections, which was seen as a major democratic rollback in Brussels and symptomatic of larger trust issues between the E.U. and the previous government.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IA\u0218I-UNGHENI GAS PIPELINE<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> A major pipeline that will help ease Moldova&#8217;s dependence on Russian gas will be up and running as early as next spring. Romanian Foreign Minister Ramona M\u0103nescu brought the big news to Chi\u0219in\u0103u during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mfa.gov.md\/ro\/content\/fost-semnata-foaia-de-parcurs-dintre-republica-moldova-si-romania-privind-domeniile\">her visit<\/a> on October 9. The Ia\u0219i-Ungheni gas pipeline, connecting Moldova to E.U. gas networks, has been under construction since 2014, as a way to diversify the energy resources and lessen Moldova\u2019s dependence on the Russian gas. But not everyone is on board. After his last visit to Russia Moldova\u2019s President Igor Dodon declared that he had managed to negotiate a price reduction on Russian gas for Moldova, instead \u2013 and the two countries are set to sign a new gas deal going into 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>ZDG INVESTIGATES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HUNT FOR PLAHOTNIUC:<\/strong> The Anticorruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Plahotniuc, accusing him of <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/political\/moldova-announces-national-search-for-fugitive-oligarch-plahotniuc\">large-scale money laundering<\/a>. According to the Prosecutor\u2019s Office, the money was obtained through illicit loans from the three banks involved in the \u201cBillion Case\u201d and then laundered through Plahotniuc\u2019s companies in Moldova and abroad. The decision to issue a national warrant was announced in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ProcuraturaAnticoruptie\/posts\/701445540265470\">Facebook post<\/a>, since Plahotniuc is currently in hiding abroad. Two more people are also involved in the criminal case, one of whom was placed in preventative detention on October 10. The Anticorruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office has issued an indictment order for the third alleged culprit.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MAYOR FOR A DAY: <\/strong>Andrei N\u0103stase, leader of the ACUM governing coalition\u2019s Dignity and Truth Platform Party, was declared <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/investigative\/the-mayor-who-never-was\">Mayor-elect of Chi\u0219in\u0103u on October 8<\/a>, more than a year after the courts invalidated his victory in the June 2018 mayoral elections. The surprise decision came after N\u0103stase \u2013 who is also serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs \u2013 filed a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights. The Chi\u0219in\u0103u Court of Appeal overturned the previous decision to invalidate the elections just 12 days before this year\u2019s local elections, set for October 20. N\u0103stase renounced the position to continue his campaign in the 2019 local elections. Although election results between the western leaning parties and the pro-russian parties have always been nearly a tie, Chi\u0219in\u0103u has never seen a victory from the left side of the political spectrum.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>(IN)JUSTICE:<\/strong> Claiming that <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/investigative\/prosecutor-tried-for-knowingly-condemning-an-innocent-person-is-acquitted\">cases are fabricated<\/a> is en vogue in a politically controlled justice system, but sometimes it actually happens. And when it does, the prosecutors don&#8217;t face consequences for wrongdoing. In a trial for murder and attempted murder, one Moldovan prosecutor issued a 21 year prison sentence for an innocent person. After serving more than five years in detention the man was released after it was established that he had not committed the crime. But last week a judge acquitted both the prosecutor and the policeman who fabricated the case.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>MOLDOVA IN WORLD NEWS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TUG OF WAR: <\/strong>The coalition government\u2019s first 100 days in power have seen movement toward justice reforms, the consolidation of state institutions, renewed cooperation and assistance from international partners and the delegitimization of previous governments. But differing political and economic agendas, foreign allies and new rivalries are also influencing the relationship between the ACUM Bloc and the Socialist Party. For <a href=\"http:\/\/prismua.org\/en\/pdf\/2019-10-4\/\">EaP Think Bridge<\/a>, foreign policy expert Laura Zghibarta breaks down the dynamics within and outside Moldova\u2019s current leadership.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IGOR-NOMICS: <\/strong>At the UN General Assembly in September, President Igor Dodon called for the recognition of Moldova\u2019s neutrality. But as economist Cristina Petru writes for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intellinews.com\/opinion-igor-nomics-brings-moldova-to-the-brink-of-disaster-169191\/\">bne IntelliNews<\/a>, this is just one example of Dodon\u2019s attempts to \u201crebrand himself as neutral between east and west.\u201d Although he is casting himself as an \u201ceconomic liberal,\u201d Dodon\u2019s actions (and blog) reveal that his fiscal policy is really based on the kind of \u201ccentralized theft and organised kleptocracy we\u2019ve seen across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and particularly in Putin\u2019s Russia\u201d \u2013 and this could have dire economic consequences for Moldova if it undermines foreign investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>SPOTTED THIS WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ZDG IN NORWAY: <\/strong>Our Executive Director Alina Radu sends a note from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/norwegianhelsinkicommittee\/\">Helsinki Committee<\/a> meeting in Oslo, Norway, where journalists, activists and lawyers from Eastern Europe met to discuss the situation for human rights defenders in the region. In her message to the Norwegian authorities, Radu explained that corruption is a two way street. Moldovan allies and friends from abroad make the anti-corruption fight a conditionality for aid and support. But recent corruption investigations have exposed a vast network defrauding the country through foreign banks and business entities. This means that corrupt and impoverished countries like Moldova have no chance of overcoming corruption without rich states overhauling their laws that allow our oligarchs to safeguard stolen money abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ZDG TRAVELS<\/strong>: This week, ZdG\u2019s crew is in Bosnia filming on corruption and human rights, two ZdG reporters are attending the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/powerofstorytelling\/\">Power of Storytelling Festival<\/a> in Bucharest, Romania and Executive Director Alina Radu is visiting the <a href=\"https:\/\/europeanjournalists.org\/event\/renew-europe-event-protecting-journalists-in-the-eu\/\">E.U. Parliament<\/a> for a discussion on protecting journalists in the European Union.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TRANSNISTRIA TALKS:<\/strong> From October 9-10, more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osce.org\/chairmanship\/435392?fbclid=IwAR1yTHulO5yYxKDUxzUcvgnWueQ8gwz01yvKBfsGiKsv2xMSBpfqWmcXEX4\">5+2 talks<\/a> on the Transnistrian Settlement took place in Bratislava, Slovakia, where the format was first created 17 years ago. The talks brought together representatives of Moldova and Transnistria along with mediators and observers to discuss a new Protocol for the breakaway territory.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NEW CONSULATE:<\/strong> The Moldovan government has decided to open <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/political\/moldova-to-open-a-consulate-in-barcelona-spain\">a new consulate in Barcelona, Spain<\/a>, at the request of the diaspora. Moldova currently has just one embassy in Madrid and the new consulate is meant to assist Moldovan citizens from the southern part of France as well. According to the 2014 census, around 4,000 Moldovans live in Spain and around 9,000 in France \u2013 although even more are believed to live in the two countries unofficially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for your continued interest!&nbsp; To keep up with our Moldova coverage throughout the week, you can like us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ziarul-de-Garda-English-version-103364337681137\/\">Facebook<\/a>, follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=49ced5d0dd&amp;e=055246de12\">Twitter@ZiarulDe<\/a> or check in at <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=475c310ac5&amp;e=055246de12\">zdg.md\/eng<\/a> for our latest stories in English. More subscription options coming soon. Until next time!<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HAPPENING THIS WEEK Greetings from Chi\u0219in\u0103u on its \u201cbirthday\u201d! Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening this week: our feature breaks down the many moving pieces in the \u201ctheft of the century\u201d investigation and explains why the new government has gone after the smaller fraudsters first. In an editorial, ZdG commemorates the lives of journalists like Anna Politkovskaya and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,6,11,3,10,8,4,5],"tags":[],"autor":[],"class_list":["post-1820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-exclusive","category-important","category-investigations","category-news","category-people","category-political","category-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Moldova, Explained by ZdG. 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