Establishment of the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency in Moldova
A Major Step Towards Combating Corruption and Money Laundering
On March 30, 2017, Moldova’s Parliament adopted Laws 48 and 49, establishing the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency (CARA). This agency is responsible for conducting parallel financial investigations to recover criminal assets, negotiating repatriation of stolen assets, and seizing, assessing, managing, and estimating their value.
International Commitments
The CARA was created in line with Moldova’s commitments under the Association Agreement with the European Union and international conventions such as the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. The agency aims to strengthen Moldova’s capacity to recover criminal assets and align it with international standards.
Expanded Attributions
Initially, the CARA had the competence to conduct parallel financial investigations in cases of corruption crimes, related crimes, and money laundering. Subsequent amendments expanded its attributions to include 54 profit-generating crimes, including:
- Corruption offenses
- Drug trafficking
- Human trafficking
- Organized crime
- Tax evasion
- Smuggling
- Money laundering
Organizational Structure
The CARA has an organizational structure comprising four directorates:
- Financial Investigations Directorate
- Special Investigations Directorate
- Informational Systems and Analysis Directorate
- International Cooperation, Secretariat, and Archive Unit
The agency is headed by Serghei Carapunarlî, who can be contacted at arbi@cna.md.
Key Responsibilities
As of October 2018, the CARA has become fully functional with a staff of 30 employees, including five temporary vacancies. The agency’s rights include:
- Requesting and receiving necessary information from national and international entities
- Deciding on the freezing of identified criminal assets
- Accessing free-of-charge national databases
- Carrying out its attributions in civil lawsuits
The CARA’s duties include:
- Providing competent authorities with information confirming reasonable suspicion of corruption crimes
- Conducting parallel financial investigations to recover criminal assets
- Negotiating repatriation of stolen assets
- Seizing, assessing, managing, and estimating the value of such assets
Conclusion
Moldova’s commitment to combating corruption and money laundering has led to significant progress in strengthening its legal framework and institutions. The establishment of the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency marks an important step towards achieving these goals and aligning Moldova with international standards in the fight against corruption.