Peer Reviewer 1:
It could be useful to indicate the body that initiated the investigation into the case of Alexandr Kovali (CCECC, Prosecutor's Office, etc.?) and whether there were allegations that the case was part of a political fight or not. The thing is that CCECC and police go hand-in-hand and such cases are being seen as "building image" for the government, while not resulting in punishment of the "accused" person.
I have not heard about the prime minister running business with forged passports/visas; as a rule, it is policemen or people from the security-sector who are involved in this type of businesses. I do not exclude this, but recommend checking on the (credibility of the) source that provided this information.
Overall, the report is accurate and relevantly portrays the corruption degrees and depths in Moldova. It also shows how far the government is from reducing it, since such action is in direct conflict with its interests.
Peer Reviewer 2:
This is indeed a good piece of research into the story of Alexander Kovali, a case little known to the large public. There were superficial press reports about the case, with only few journalists providing interesting details. A police officer I interviewed claimed that Kovali had become too greedy and gone out of control, otherwise he would have continued his illegal businesses. Although he was not part of the top pyramid, the complexity of his alleged criminal businesses yet remains an iceberg below the sea level. However, it might also happen that in the end Kovali will escape imprisonment and/or will only have to pay a substantial fine.
(See Ziarul de Garda http://garda.com.md;
Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism http://www.crji.org/news.php?id=85&l=2;
Artur Cozma, investigator with the Center for the Struggle against Economic Crimes and Corruption).
The writer starts the report by mentioning a police officer involved in criminal activities, but he/she does not bring evidence of corruption (which is the central theme of our report) in this particular case. Nevertheless, the behavior of the suspect and witnesses, the delayed judiciary proceedings and the mistrust in the Moldovan justice system in general, all suggest that the story is without doubt about corruption.
Some members of the political elite have been running the worst criminal activities in Moldova, according to investigative newspapers Timpul, Jurnal de Chisinau, and Ziarul de Garda. Small criminals enjoy the protection of high ranking officials and they regularly pay fees in exchange for protection.
Although Moldovans admit that bribing is wrong, many of them still prefer this method, because it is a quick and time-saving way to resolve almost any issue, compared with the long and uncertain legal path, opinion polls say.
I think the reporter has made a connection between corruption and the lack of knowledge, which is to be found on daily basis in Moldova. What I doubt is the part about the Interior Minister Gheorghe Papuc: he usually does not write letters to the president, but he regularly reports to the prime minister. The case is not as important by Moldovan standards in order to capture the attention of the chief of state. Ala Meleca, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said she had no knowledge that Papuc had ever sent any documents to President Voronin in this particular case.
The facts in the Reporters Notebook correspond to what the police and the authorities revealed to the public, and what the media speculated about. Another plus is that the reporter has collected names and figures, providing a factually accurate account.
There are many other, "more peaceful" topics that, in my view, better reflect the phenomenon of corruption. If I were the reporter, my choice would be to write about illegal constructions in the capital Chisinau. Although the law clearly bans the attaching of additional rooms, offices, etc. to existing buildings without special approval, there are plenty of illegal constructions in the city. This implies that someone pays in order to get the permits or to escape punishment once they are caught.
Peer Reviewer 3:
Human trafficking is certainly a major problem in Moldova, obviously resulting in the corruption of high-level officials. However, it might have been more useful to focus on other more significant aspects of corruption, such as the economic interests of President Voronin and his family. Moreover, in 2007, there continued to be a significant amount of backsliding from democracy, especially as far as the procedural aspects of democratization are concerned. Also, in spite of some progress in legislation in advancing human rights, according to the Moldovan NGO ADEPT, Moldova is "still marked by discontinuities at the level of respecting the practices of human rights."
Freedom of the press in Moldova should also have been mentioned. It is somewhat problematical and it threatens the consolidation of democracy in the country. A survey of the media conducted by Freedom House in 2007 concluded that the press was not free. The head of the OSCE mission to Moldova, Louis O'Neill, complained that Teleradio Moldova, which covers most of the country, and which has experienced problems with the Voronin regime in the past, has not, as anticipated, been fully transformed into a public station free from control and interference by the government, and that it was not functioning in a transparent manner.
As far as the rule of law is concerned, according to the Council of Europe the reform of the judiciary and the guarantee of an independent judiciary leave something to be desired. Finally, more needs to be done to introduce a more equitable system of paying civil servants to counter rampant corruption and create a business climate that would encourage foreign investments.
Peer Reviewer 4:
The Reporters Notebook presents only two aspects of corruption in Moldova, while the faces of corruption are multiple: corruption in public services, law enforcement, high levels of decision-making, etc.
Corruption is linked to poverty, although it is not determined exclusively by it. It is a result of many actions or lack of actions by the state: bad organization and lack of efficiency of the public services, excessive fiscal burden and excessive control by the state institutions over private sector, excessively low salaries in important public sectors and services, etc.
Corruption can perpetuate the poverty in the country, as it causes the shadow economy to flourish, scares off potential investors, reduces budget revenues, brings damages to the environment. It is also a phenomenon that affects the poor more than the rich, preventing the first from escaping poverty. Poverty eradication in Moldova is impossible without the eradication of corruption at all levels.
Peer Reviewer 5:
This story focuses on a very important element of crime in Moldova --human trafficking--, and it retells in vivid details the events which are all too rarely seen in the Moldovan press. However, while the story is very interesting, I think the author could have focused on the corruption element of the story much more. In the narrative, only 1-2 paragraphs directly address the topic of interest -- corruption. I guess its too late for a re-write, but if the editors agree with me the writer could find a story about corruption in the traffic police or customs easily and quickly. Consulting the local Transparency International office could also provide material for a refocused story. A couple of illustrative stats would also give depth to the actual corruption story chosen by the writer (if there is time to refocus the piece). The TI-Moldova surveys provide a scandalously wonderful source of stats.
As a personal pet-peeve, I am disappointed that the views of the government are not presented. As a reader, I would like to see some balance in the article. Especially if the writer wants to focus on "governance" instead of corruption, I would like to find out what the governance problem is.
As an aside note, the CFECC should be the CCECC (Centre for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption) which is the commonly accepted translation for the Center into English.
I enjoyed the piece, a much needed piece of journalism in an environment hostile to investigative journalism. I'm guessing the writer will correct the CCECC and submit the final piece.
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