The Venice Commission reportedly advised Moldovan lawmakers to approach the creation of the Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office (AOCPO) with maximum caution. Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu confirmed this information when journalists asked him about the discussions with the delegation that visited Moldova.
Igor Grosu stated that if the Commission offers additional recommendations, deputies will consider them.
”We will choose the soft option. What does that mean? This approach responds to prosecutors’ concerns that the transition, merger, or institution formation should not disrupt or negatively impact ongoing cases or investigations. We considered those proposals. If new ones appear, we will wait and assess. Once we agree that the project is ready, we will vote on it.”
When asked whether the recommendation concerns a merger rather than liquidation, Grosu explained, ”I don’t recall the exact wording. We took the prosecutors’ concern seriously: the authorities must ensure these cases continue without interruption. We agreed with the recommendations and continued with the process.”
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A delegation from the Venice Commission conducted a fact-finding mission in Moldova on April 29–30, 2025, as part of the follow-up opinion preparation on the draft law concerning the anti-corruption judiciary and related legal amendments.
On February 20, 61 deputies voted for the draft law on AOCPO in its first reading, while 21 voted against it and two abstained.
The draft law’s authors designed AOCPO to specialize in two main areas: combating corruption-related offenses and fighting organized crime, terrorism, and torture. The institution will lead criminal investigations in cases handled by the investigative bodies of central specialized authorities. AOCPO will also take over and lead investigations assigned by the Prosecutor General and represent the prosecution in trial, appeal, and supreme courts.
Because of this draft law, Veronica Dragalin, head of the current Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, resigned. The proposal triggered a major political scandal, sparked public criticism, and prompted several justice experts to demand the project’s withdrawal.