Veronica Dragalin barred from public office for five years as CSP confirms failed external evaluation
Veronica Dragalin, the former head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, failed to pass the external assessment of her ethical and financial integrity. During a meeting on July 17, the Superior Council of Prosecutors accepted the Vetting Commission's report from June 12, with a vote from five members. As a result, Dragalin is barred from holding the position of prosecutor or any other public office for a period of five years.
The decision of the Superior Council of Prosecutors (CSP) will be forwarded to the Acting Prosecutor General, Alexandru Machidon, to ensure that all proper administrative procedures are followed. Additionally, the National Integrity Authority (ANI), the Evaluation Commission, and Veronica Dragalin will also be informed of this decision.
According to the CSP, this decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice by either the subject of the evaluation or the Evaluation Commission.
We remind you that during the CSP meeting on July 10, Veronica Dragalin requested that the Commission's report be rejected and that the evaluation procedure be terminated. She argued that the law should be interpreted rationally, rather than strictly technically, and contended that a simple administrative delay should not be treated as a sanction.
As a reminder, the Prosecutors' Evaluation Commission issued its report regarding Veronica Dragalin's non-promotion on June 12, following her resignation during the vetting process. According to the Law on External Evaluation, a resignation submitted after the 20-day deadline from the notification of the evaluation's initiation is considered equivalent to a failure to participate in the evaluation.
Veronica Dragalin announced her resignation in February 2025, and her mandate officially ended on March 4, when she urged deputies to reject the merger of the two specialized prosecutor's offices. However, the PACCO bill was voted on in the first reading and was subsequently put on hold. The external evaluation of her was initiated in May, at which point she was asked to provide documents regarding her assets, interests, and ethical integrity. Although she submitted the required documents, and the Commission requested additional clarifications, the procedure was prematurely terminated following her resignation.
