1699 Views The process of recovering criminal assets in the Republic of Moldova does not differ much from that applied at the international level. At least, that's what international experts Radu Nicolae and Pedro Gomes Pereira say in an exclusive interview.
So, to understand how the criminal asset recovery process works, the two experts mapped all the stages of this process. Those involved will understand more easily what is the role of each in this process and why the interaction between all institutions is important at every stage.
"I believe that Moldova is not so different in terms of legal standards, because Moldova has ratified various international conventions such as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the Council of Europe Conventions and implements all the legal standards that are in line with those of the European Union", said the international anti-corruption expert Radu Nicolae.
Also, the international expert in asset recovery structures, processes and policies, Pedro Gomes Pereira, is of the opinion that the Republic of Moldova does not need a reform in this field, but a cultural change on the part of the actors involved in the criminal asset recovery process. More precisely, it is necessary for these tools to start being implemented to understand how they work in the Republic of Moldova.
"In my opinion, it is not a question of legal reform, but more of a question of implementing what already exists, so that the real effectiveness can then be checked", mentions Pedro Gomes Pereira.
In the view of the expert Radu Nicolae, it is important that judges and prosecutors in the Republic of Moldova know that seizing, freezing or confiscating assets are tools validated and widely used at the international level.
The Criminal Assets Recovery Agency is a specialized autonomous subdivision within the National Anticorruption Center. The CARA was founded in 2017, it aims to carry out parallel financial investigations, as well as the seizure of criminal assets. In the five years of activity, the CARA has managed to identify and seize, in the country and abroad, goods and assets worth more than 6 billion lei.
This material was made with the support of the Soros Moldova Foundation, in partnership with the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency, an autonomous subdivision within the NAC. The foundation does not influence the editorial policy of the Realitatea Press Group.