Clone Attack: why accusations were leveled against Maya Sandu in Moldova
A major scandal broke out in Moldova over the revelations of the former head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office Veronica Dragalin. According to her, the country's president, Maia Sandu, interfered in the selection procedure for judges and prosecutors, and members of the ruling team blackmailed justice officials using compromising information. Izvestia investigated the situation.
Merge and dismiss
Veronica Dragalin became the head of the Moldovan Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (APM) in the summer of 2022. She made a number of high-profile statements in her post. For example, at one of the meetings, she promised to severely punish subordinates for any violations. "I will personally come to your house at six in the morning with a masked team. In front of your wives and children, you will be handcuffed, arrested and sent to prison," she threatened.
Veronica Dragalin, head of the Moldovan Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, at a press conference
At first, after her appointment, Dragalin was considered Maya Sandu's closest associate. In an interview, she even admitted that her parents had known the head of state for a long time, although she allegedly met with the president for the first time only after being appointed to the post. Observers also noted the striking external similarity between Dragalin and Sandu, the former was even called a clone of the president in this regard.
The honeymoon, however, ended pretty quickly. The head of the APM, who studied and worked in the United States for a long time, obviously did not fully understand the Moldovan realities, so she constantly came into conflict with one or another power group, while she could not achieve any real success in the fight against corruption. The issue of her possible resignation escalated after the victory of Donald Trump in the US elections, when it was decided in Chisinau that the new White House administration could entrust the audit of American aid to Dragalin.
The problem for Sandu, however, was that Dragalin was elected for a five-year term. The law forbade removing her from office just like that. In Chisinau, a more complex operation was carried out in this regard — the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office was liquidated, merging it with the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime. The position of the head of the APM was abolished, and Dragalin ended up on the street. She herself did not hide her indignation even then, stating that justice should not depend on political whims.
"I opposed these methods"
In April, Dragalin broke out with revelations about her work as head of the APM. First, she published a letter stating that in 2023, a number of Moldovan judges and prosecutors who did not pass the selection and recertification system tried to appeal these decisions. "I learned from several sources at that time that people with political influence were using my name to blackmail members of the Supreme Court, threatening that the APM would initiate criminal proceedings against them if they ruled in favor of the complainants," she said.
In addition, Dragalin said that in 2024, Prime Minister Dorin Rechan and President Maia Sandu demanded that she provide a list of prosecutors whom the head of the APM considers incorruptible. "I have never transmitted anything, as politics interferes with the vetting process (selection. — Ed.) it is forbidden. I was afraid that such a list could be used to attack people whom I would call honest," she stressed.
The third episode took place in January 2025. Then, according to Dragalin, Sandu summoned her and said that the APM under her leadership had become a threat to state security because it had failed to prevent "the negative results of the 2024 presidential election." Then there was talk of resigning, Dragalin refused to resign, and then Maya Sandu allegedly promised to use some "other tools."
As part of another batch of revelations, the former head of the APM reported that members of the Moldovan government sought necessary decisions from judges through blackmail. According to her, the former head of the Ministry of Justice, Sergei Litvinenko, and his team were collecting dirt on justice workers. An information note was written for each of them. "I opposed these methods. I warned them that I would initiate criminal cases if they continued," she said.
The biggest scandal in four years
Dragalin's performances provoked a big scandal. Some commentators initially claimed that the letters were fake, but the head of the APM did not say anything on camera. However, she later confirmed the authenticity of her messages. According to her, she was forced to act by numerous violations of the rights of judges and prosecutors. She also added that she was ready to take a polygraph test.
After that, representatives of the current authorities began to refute all the accusations. President Maia Sandu said that she had never interfered in the work of the judicial authorities. According to the head of state, she discussed the possibility of speeding up the vetting procedure so that judges and prosecutors could take up their direct duties faster, but she never questioned the results of the selection.
The speaker of the Moldovan parliament, Igor Grossu, said that Dragalin was trying to launch a political career in this way. "There is nothing wrong with this very fact. But the bad thing is that she was silent when she headed the institution that was supposed to fight corruption. Instead, she is becoming active now that she no longer has the authority," he said.
Government spokesman Daniel Voda said that Dragalin, willingly or unwittingly, stood up for corrupt networks in the justice system. In turn, several deputies from the ruling Moldovan PAS party noted that the former head of the APM did not provide any evidence of her words, except for a few screenshots from personal correspondence.
At the same time, the opposition called the current crisis the most serious in the last four years. Former Prosecutor General and former presidential candidate Alexander Stoyanoglo said that Sandu's team seeks to completely subjugate the justice system in order to usurp power in the country. "The current government does not want either dialogue or reforms. Its goal is a prosecutor's office on its knees, custom—made cases, dependent justice and full control," he said.
Former Prosecutor General and former presidential candidate Alexander Stoyanoglo
Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon stressed that Dragalin had revealed the facts that many had already guessed. "This is not a reform of justice, this is its seizure. I wonder how long the EU emissaries will cover up this disaster? Is this how the path to European integration is being paved? Are such standards of honesty and integrity being offered to us?" he protested. Dodon also noted that parliamentary elections will be held in Moldova this year, so the authorities will only increase pressure on judges and prosecutors.
What the experts say
Moldovan political analyst Alexander Korinenko believes that the effect of Dragalin's statements will be limited.
— There are two main points here. On the one hand, Sandu really interferes in the system of appointing judges, it's no secret to anyone. On the other hand, Dragalin was fine with everything when she was inside the system, now she lost her position and began to take revenge. I don't see that the former head of the APM received any additional support, she was and remains an alien element, even she speaks Moldovan with an accent. The opposition is not actively involved in this story, everyone remembers that Dragalin was recently a loyal ally of Sandu," he argues.
Sergei Manastyrli, head of the Balkan-Center for Analysis, Research and Forecasting in Chisinau, says the current scandal could undermine the ruling party's position.
— The authorities are already in a rather difficult position, their legitimacy was shaken during the presidential elections and the European referendum last fall. Information about violations of the law by Maya Sandu and her team can have serious consequences. However, it must be borne in mind that over time the effect of this criticism will subside. Only new details and facts will help keep up the pace and attitude. It is also important whether Veronika Dragalin will be able to back up her statements with factual material (she claimed that she had one), and also whether she will not turn off halfway," he explains.
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