MOLDOVA TAKES STEPS TO REVERSE ITS TIER

C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000794

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/UMB, G/TIP, EUR/ACE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KWMN PINR MD
SUBJECT: MOLDOVA TAKES STEPS TO REVERSE ITS TIER
3 TIP PLACEMENT

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Rudolf V.
Perina, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: In meetings with the G/TIP
assessment team, Government of Moldova officials
noted that though originally surprised by the
Tier 3 placement, they now acknowledged it as
both accurate and as a needed spur to improving
their record on trafficking. In each meeting,
officials noted the extensive internal
deliberations, critical examinations of policy,
and additional steps now being implemented by the
GOM to try to address TIP concerns. Deputy Prime
Minister Stepaniuc presented the team with a
draft report that included GOM analysis of their
fulfillment to date of the seven items on the 60-
Day Action Plan and additional steps envisioned
for the rest of 2008. He asked for Washington's
review and comment. Prime Minister Greceanii
gave her personal commitment that Moldova would
implement everything it planned and pleaded that
the TIP issue not derail the MCC program and all
the other bilateral efforts she had worked on for
years. End summary.

Multi-Agency Meetings, from Prime Minister Down
-------------- --


2. (C) On July 29, the G/TIP team of Mark Taylor
and Amy Rofman assessed compliance with the 60-
day Tier 3 Placement Action Plan by meeting with
Prime Minister Greceanii, Deputy Prime Minister
(and Chairman of the National Committee for
Combating Trafficking in Persons) Victor
Stepaniuc, and officials from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the Center for Combating
Trafficking in Persons (CCTIP),the Ministry of
Social Protection, the Prosecutor General's
Office, and the Border Guards. The Prime
Minister interrupted her crisis management of
severe floods in the country to meet the
delegation. All interlocutors focused on
demonstrating that the GOM was taking seriously
USG suggestions on fighting TIP.


3. (C) Highlights of the meetings included:

-- The Prime Minister acknowledged that Tier 3
placement had caused Moldova to reconsider its
approach to all aspects of fighting TIP. She
also promised that, as Prime Minister, she was
committed to allocating the resources necessary
to give greater publicity to TIP, urge the
investigation and prosecution of traffickers, and
increase assistance to victims of trafficking.
She thanked the USG for its support of Moldova,
and pledged full cooperation in the fight against
TIP. She noted that initiating criminal cases
against public officials would illustrate the
commitment of the government but added that
Moldova was bound to follow rules of due process
that could not be compressed into a 60-day time
schedule. She gave her personal promise that
Moldova would implement everything it planned and
pleaded that the TIP issue not de-rail the MCC
Program and all the other bilateral efforts she
has worked on for years.

-- Deputy Prime Minister Stepaniuc confessed that
while the TIP placement had irritated him when it
was released on June 4, he now realized that it
was accurate and objective. In a blunt mea
culpa, he admitted that Moldova "has no tradition
of holding public officials accountable," and
that the Tier 3 placement "was a good lesson for
us." He noted lack of coordination in GOM anti-
TIP efforts, and poor data collection and
reporting. He said that during the 60-day period
the GOM had enacted an additional plan of action
on TIP. The Prosecutor General was now reopening
criminal investigations on six cases closed last
year, and had started five new cases -- all
eleven involving government officials. He stated
that the new Director of CCTIP, Victor Hincu
(former intelligence officer and President
Voronin's personal choice for the position),was
better prepared than his predecessor. CCTIP was
currently involved in vetting all staff, and
Stepaniuc expected CCTIP would be more effective
in the future. Within this two month period the
GOM had also enacted a government decree for

creating a shelter for victims of trafficking.
Regulations for repatriation of victims would
also be enacted. He said that Moldova was
drafting a code of conduct for public officials
which would be finished and enacted by the end of
the year. The Ministry of Interior, Border
Guards and Prosecutor General's office had been
given a deadline of September 15 to create a
centralized data base. Stepaniuc declared that
he had learned a great deal about downgrading of
cases (from trafficking to pimping) and the
involvement of GOM officials in trafficking in
persons and illegal migration, but pledged to
improve the GOM's record in both areas.

-- Stepaniuc presented an 8-page draft report
(condensed from 100 pages of internal reporting)
outlining the governments efforts taken during
the 60-day period, and specifically focusing on
the seven items in the 60-day Action Plan
provided by Washington. He asked that the USG
review and comment on this draft report before it
is finalized.

-- CCTIP Director Hincu said that the July 24
meeting chaired by President Voronin had
announced an intensification of efforts and
discussed measures necessary to improve the work
of the center. Hincu said that a specialized
committee within the Ministry of Interior was
currently carrying out the vetting of all CCTIP
officers, including polygraph testing, tax review
and references from previous jobs. Hincu said
that a code of ethics for all GOM anti-TIP
officials had recently been approved by the
Ministry of Interior; he planned to sign an
agreement with each officer, so that each
separately agreed to fully comply with all
elements in the code of ethics. Hincu said that
one of his objectives was to improve the work of
the analytical sector in CCTIP to provide better
statistics. Hincu also mentioned CCTIP plans for
implementing a hotline. Hincu pledged to address
problems and increase the efficiency of CCTIP.

-- Prosecutor General Valeriu Gurbulea
acknowledged that the anti-trafficking
prosecutors had not been insistent enough in
pushing the CCTIP investigators to improve the
quality of their investigations. New prosecutors
have replaced the prior staff assigned to the
CCTIP, including a new chief of prosecutors, who
was most recently assigned to the Anti-Corruption
Prosecutor's Office. Gurbulea confirmed the
reopening of criminal cases from last year,
including the Bejan case and other Ministry of
Interior officials, and reported the initiation
of new criminal cases, all focusing on alleged
involvement of government officials in criminal
trafficking activity. He added that proper
criminal procedures and the presumption of
innocence would be observed in the carrying out
of such investigations.

-- MFA consular official Radu Cucos reported on
the training being given to consular officials at
Moldovan embassies abroad on providing assistance
and protection to trafficking victims.
Discussion of identifying and assisting
trafficking victims is now mandatory in the
training program for all consular officers.
Cucos said that a draft regulation on
repatriation of victims was expected to be
adopted in the coming days. He promised to
provide the text of this regulation for USG
analysis. Cucos said the MFA was working to
improve outreach to Moldovan citizens abroad
(both legal and illegal migrants),and to
regularize cooperation between NGOs, host
governments, and GOM embassies to cooperate on
identification, protection and repatriation of
victims of trafficking.

Comment
--------------


4. (C) At all levels, GOM interlocutors were free
of rancor, and in fact appreciative of the Tier 3
wake-up call. Several cautioned that 60 days was
not a great deal of time to demonstrate
institutionalized progress, and asked the

delegation to see the steps taken as an absolute
commitment to improved future action in the fight
against trafficking. End comment.


5. The TIP delegation did not have an
opportunity to clear this cable before departing
from post.

PERINA