This week marks exactly one month since the Plahotniuc ruled government left. The interviews from prison with Vlad Filat, the interviews with several Democratic Party representatives and an interview from the hospital with one politician with doves, made us understand “How Moldova should not be governed [and] what kind of politicians do no good for any government or any state in the world.”

In a series of three interviews from jail, Vlad Filat claimed that Vlad Plahotniuc was the beneficiary of all financial frauds. He claimed that Ilan Shor collaborated with Plahotniuc for the same criminal benefits. Those who committed injustice in the name of injustice were also closely related to Plahotniuc.

A proper radiography of the incontestable evil would be appropriate. However none of the witnesses can explain how Vlad Plahotniuc came to capture state institutions, one by one, and turn them into toys at the hands of a puppeteer.

Moldova’s former President Vladimir Voronin contributed to Plahotniuc’s rise to power. He never acknowledged this, but it is well known that he backed Plahotniuc during the Communist period (2001–2009). It’s clear that this octopus was grown in Voronin’ s aquarium.

The way in which all torturers involved in the April 7 protests aligned with Plahotniuc made it clear that Voronin created this group that no longer could obey their master.

One question that the interviewees left unanswered is this: Why did the pro-European Government under Vlad Filat’s leadership allow Plahotniuc to control the justice system, the Prosecutor’s office and other institutions? The answer can be gathered piece by piece. Filat stated on Pro TV that he spoke with Plahotniuc for the first time in 2009. “Somebody came in with a phone, handed it to me and said he wanted to talk to me,” Filat said. They talked. Then they talked again. And then little by little, Moldova became a state captured in the hands of a puppet master.

It seems it all started with that private phone call from a businessman. Then the same person sent a bank card, and then some airplane tickets, and then many other things. The interests of the businessman and his acolytes became intertwined with the actions of the prime minister.

Perhaps from now on, no prime minister of the Republic of Moldova should accept to use the goods belonging to a businessman. Neither a phone to use for five minute conversations, nor money, tickets to football matches, nor castles – not even a bucket of cucumbers. Maybe Moldovan prime ministers should even be legally barred from attending private meetings with businessmen. Of course, a dialogue with the business sector should exist, but this dialogue must be as transparent as possible, and in the presence of integrity monitors.

I’m sure Prime Minister Maia Sandu is currently approached by the exponents of the business realm. I’m sure there are businessmen who are quite interested in making good investments. But if everything is done in the interest of society, let everything be watched, and done in the presence of integrity experts. Otherwise, we find out later that “not the entire party participated in the theft of the billion,” as former Interior Minister Jizdan said. But if one person in the party committed a theft, all citizens suffered.

The previous Government managed to steal a few billion and remain unpunished. Now Moldova’s citizens are extremely intolerant of any fraud. A coin stolen today is likely to inflate spirits more than a billion stolen yesterday. Because people are running out of patience, they expect integrity and a sense of well being. 

Alina Radu