Reaction of suspended Romanian judge Cristi Danileț on obtaining Moldovan citizenship

Suspended Romanian magistrate Cristi Danileț, who received Moldovan citizenship, came up with a reaction in the context of the decree signed by President Maia Sandu. Thus, Danileț presented the activities he took part in in Moldova, as a speaker, consultant, expert or lecturer.

“My participation in activities in the Republic of Moldova:

• Trainer at: ‘Elections – new style’ – Election of judges and prosecutors in self-administration bodies of justice: new legislation and Romanian experience”, CRJM, online, 11 Oct 2022;
• Council of Europe expert for the report “Judicial Inspectorate in the Rep. of Moldova – recommendations to the legislative and regulatory framework on the activity, organization, competences and functioning”, May-July 2021;
• Study “Disciplinary liability of judges in the Republic of Moldova. Evaluation of legislation and practices”, CRJM, Feb-June 2020;
• Lecturer at the seminar “The role of judges in a democratic society: standards, good practices and individual motivation”, CMFRC, Chisinau, 17-18 June 2017;
• Senior Non Key expert on Judicial Inspection in ATRECO project, Chisinau, March – July 2015;
• Short term expert in the project “Strengthening integrity of justice sector actors by promoting anti-corruption measures and professional ethics standards”, KAS and MoJ, Nov. 2014-Jan. 2015;
• International consultant for the development of a guide for prosecutors and investigators in Moldova, Soros Foundation Moldova, June-Dec 2014;
• Speaker at “Disciplinary procedures in the Romanian justice system – good practices for Rep. Moldova”, CRJM, Chisinau, 17 July 2014;
• Non key senior short-term expert for MoJ, “Evaluation of the organization and functioning of the SCM in Moldova”, July-September 2014;
• Speaker at the “Developments in sanctioning and punishment for corruption in Romania”, ABA ROLLI and INJ, Chisinau, 19 May 2014;
• Lecturer at the seminar “Uniformization of jurisprudence in corruption cases”, organized by ABA ROLLI and INJ, Chisinau, 19-21 June 2013;
• Presentation “Grand corruption: building a corruption case against high ranking suspects. Challenges and solutions” at the international conference “Fight against corruption in the Republic of Moldova – Experience of the USA, Italy and Romania. Achievements and perspectives”, organized by ABAROLI and IACA, Chisinau, 17-18 June 2013;
• Presentation “Independence, Impartiality and Accountability of Judges” and “Corruption. Case study: corruption in the judiciary” at the anti-corruption training course organized by ABAROLI and INJ, on 20-21 May and 19-21 June 2013;
• Lecturer on “Evaluation system of courts and judges in Romania” at the workshop “Evaluation of judges’ performance”, organized by Soros Foundation Moldova, Chisinau, 21-22 Nov 2012;
• International consultant in the project “Improving the right to liberty and security of person in Moldova” implemented by Soros Foundation, June-August 2012;
• Presentation of the opinion on amendments to justice laws, at the “Round Table on CoE Expertise of Amendments to Justice Sector Legislation”, CoE-EU Joint Programme, Chisinau, 17 Oct 2011;
• CoE expert evaluation of the draft Justice Sector Strategy 2011-2015 in Rep. Moldova, Oct. 2011.

Papers compiled by me for professionals in Moldova:

• “Legal education for students. Practical guide to legal education for pre-university education”, co-author, Chisinau, 2019;
• “Unification of judicial practice and ensuring the principle of security of legal relations in the Republic of Moldova”, Sirius Publishing House, Chisinau, 2014;
• “Detention in criminal proceedings. Guide for practitioners”, co-author, Cartier Publishing House, Chisinau, 2014;
• “Arrest. Guide for Practitioners”, Cartier Publishing House, Chisinau, 2013; “Mediation Guide”, co-author, University Publishing House, Bucharest, 2010″, wrote Cristi Danileț on his Facebook page.

Ziarul de Gardă asked the representatives of the Presidential institution whether the Romanian judge will run for a public position in the Moldovan justice system after being granted citizenship.

“No person, who is granted citizenship of the Republic of Moldova, is questioned about personal and professional plans. I think it is right to ask the persons concerned what they are planning to do,” said Irina Gotisan-Sotnic, head of the Presidency’s Directorate for Information and Communication with the Media.

ZdG also asked Cristi Danileț, but we have not received an answer yet.

President Maia Sandu signed on Friday, November 11, the decree granting citizenship of the Republic of Moldova to Romanian judge Cristi Danileț and the former head of the National Office for Preventing and Combating Money Laundering in Romania, Daniel-Marius Staicu.

The decree entered into force on Friday, 18 November, on the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

According to the Romanian press, Judge Cristian Danileț of the Cluj Court, “one of the best-known figures of the reformist movement in the Romanian justice system”, is a target for the anti-reformist wing of Romania’s Superior Council of Magistrates (CSM). In July, he was excluded from the judiciary for the third time by the disciplinary section of the SCM’s judges’ chamber by a majority vote for alleged gross negligence in the exercise of his duties.

Asked by G4Media why he was granted Moldovan citizenship, Danileț said that “I have been working with the authorities in Chisinau for the last ten years as a Council of Europe and EU consultant for Moldova”.

“Since 2010 I have been involved in projects such as validating the strategy for reforming the justice system, amendments to justice laws, analysis of the functioning of the Judicial Inspection. In 2021 was the last project, on disciplinary liability of magistrates, carried out by the Council of Europe. I have no political objectives in Moldova,“ said the judge.

Daniel-Marius Staicu was president of the National Office for the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering in Romania from 2018 to 2020. He heads a directorate of a bank in Moldova.

In an interview with ZdG in September 2021, when asked “who among the world’s great judges would like to advise him or even become Minister of Justice”, Minister Sergiu Litvinenco also mentioned Cristi Danileț.

“(…) For example, I appreciate what Laura Codruța Kövesi has done in Romania regarding the work of DNA. I also appreciate the DNA reform, initiated by Monica Macovei in 2004-2005, plus Monica Macovei’s advisors – Laura Stefan, Cristi Danileț. These are the people we report to. I hope that some of them will end up helping me in the work of reforming justice in Moldova,” Litvinenco said at the time.