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