The Ombudswoman, Natalia Moloșag, announces that on Thursday, December 2, she submitted her resignation to the Parliament. She was asked to resign after being seen several times in public, including at official events organized by the Office of the Ombudswoman, with a citizen whom she had previously defended in court and who was sentenced for pimping in 2017. ”This was a mistake and the reputation of the People’s Advocate institution is suffering,” said the Action and Solidarity Party deputy, Dan Perciun.

On November 30, more than 95 organizations, members of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, requested public explanations from the Ombudswoman on “the status of the citizen Dumitru Godorog in the institution,” and if the information described in the press confirms, the organizations demanded that Natalia Moloșag resigns from office.

ZdG wrote that Natalia Molosag, the Ombudswoman, was seen several times in public, including at events organized by the Office of the Ombudswoman, together with Dumitru Godorog, a citizen whom she had previously defended in court and who was sentenced for pimping in 2017 to 4 years in prison, with a conditional suspension of the execution of the sentence, for a probation period of 3 years. Sources from ZdG within the Office of the Ombudswoman confirmed the information about Dumitru Godorog’s involvement in the daily activity of the Office.

In 2017, Dumitru Godorog was convicted, according to article 220 of the Penal Code, paragraph 2, for pimping, being sentenced to 4 years in prison, with a conditional suspension of the execution of the sentence, for a probation period of 3 years. Then, according to the sentence issued by the Chișinău Court, the lawyer Natalia Moloșag represented Dumitru Godorog’s interests in court.

In November 2017, Dumitru Godorog, assisted by defenders, filed a guilty plea. In his application to the court, Godorog mentioned that, during the period 2012-2017, he committed the crime of pimping and described step by step the events that took place. “He placed an online advertisement and later he urged the persons to provide online sexual services. Later, he shared the money with them,” it is mentioned in the court sentence.

Natalia Moloșag declared on Wednesday, December 1, during a press briefing, that she will resign from the Ombudswoman position after completing a verification control that she initiated within the institution once she took office.

The Action and Solidarity Party faction asked for the resignation of Natalia Moloșag.

“The involvement of this person in the institution was a mistake and it is clear that the reputation of the People’s Advocate institution is suffering. It seems that she is going to resign after she completes an internal control. As I said, we are waiting for the resignation decision “, said Radu Marian, Action and Solidarity Party deputy.

“”It’s an unfortunate, unexpected situation. As far as I understand, she is going to leave to restore the institution’s image internally and externally. As far as I understand, the control will be completed quite quickly. Yes, she did not commit any illegalities, it is true, but the perception of the actions she took also matters and here she had to be more careful,” said Dan Perciun, Action and Solidarity Party deputy.

People’s Advocate Natalia Moloșag announced that starting in 2018, she offered Dumitru Godorog, a person she had previously defended in court and who was convicted of pimping in 2017, a position in the Law Firm Natalia Moloșag to help his client reintegrate into society. With her appointment as Ombudswoman, Moloșag claims that he proposed to Godorog to continue the collaboration, offering him advice and offering him a job temporarily. This is how Natalia Moloșag argues for Dumitru Godorog’s presence at the events organized by the Ombudswoman.

In September, Natalia Molosag was appointed by the Parliament to the Ombudswoman position for a term of 7 years. Natalia Moloșag is a lawyer by profession. In 2015, she was elected Dean of the Chișinău Bar. At that time, 283 lawyers voted for her. Subsequently, on December 22, 2015, the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Chișinău Bar revoked her from the position of the dean of the Chișinău Bar. In 2020, Natalia Moloșag represented in court the interests of Maia Sandu, the candidate of the then Action and Solidarity Party for the presidency and the current president of Moldova.