Maia Sandu and Andrei Năstase pledged their reform of justice and dismissal of judges who release dangerous criminals, however, they run for elections in the same list with a suspected rapist and former judges who have integrity problems.

We are talking about PAS-PPDA bloc candidates Gheorghe Petic, accused of assaulting and raping a woman from Ungheni, and Domnica Manole and Gheorghe Balan, former magistrates dismissed for making illegal decisions.

"Justice needs to be profoundly reformed immediately", said Andrei Năstase, president of PPDA.

"We will wipe away corrupt and vulnerable people from the bodies of justice", said Maia Sandu, the PAS leader.

These slogans of Sandu-Năstase bloc contradict their intention to bring the former magistrates Gheorghe Balan and Domnica Manole to Parliament. Especially, Balan's illegal actions committed as a judge continue to come to light after his dismissal.

According to the Disciplinary Board of the Superior Council of Magistracy (SCM), when he worked at the Botanical Court, candidate no. 35 on the PAS-PPDA's list released a drug dealer and a man blamed for aggression of family members. They only paid fines instead. 

"Both offenses were particularly serious crimes and the law definitely forbids the imposition of fines in both cases," Nicolae Clima, chief judge of the Judicial Inspection, said.

For the two illegal decisions, the Disciplinary Board of SCM dismissed Gheorghe Balan, even if he had been already dismissed for other offenses.

The former magistrate qualifies the decision as abusive. In front of the press, the PPDA leader criticizes judges committing illegalities such as those committed by Balan, however, eventually listed Gheorghe Balan for elections. 

"There are judges in the Republic of Moldova who do not apply the law and release extremely dangerous criminals," Năstase said.

Asked if he also referred to Gheorghe Balan, Năstase changed his accents:

- Justice must be made in the courtrooms with honest judges.

- Like Domnica Manole and Gheorghe Balan?

- Miss, do not interrupt me, please!

Former Judge of the Chisinau Court of Appeal, Domnica Manole, became the protagonist of a scandal in 2008.

PRO TV journalists surprised her while advocating the communist Eduard Muşuc and his attorney on how to win in a file on the leadership of the Municipal Council, initiated by Liberal Mihai Ghimpu and examined by Manole. Although he was in danger of being dismissed as a judge, the current candidate for the PAS-PPDA bloc to the post of deputy was rescued by the SCM, controlled in 2008 by the Communist government.

Until 2017, when dismissed by the SCM for issuing a ruling against the law, Domnica Manole also took court decisions on the basis of which Moldova was sentenced to the ECHR three times.

In 2013, journalists from Ziarul de Gardă wrote that Manole is the judge who owns the most luxurious cars, 11 in number, which provoked questions of her financial resources. 

All this is in contradiction with PAS-PPDA leaders' promises to fight with officials holding unjustified fortunes.

"And we will implement the confiscation mechanism of these assets," Maia Sandu said.

However, the most scandalous decision to select candidates for the PAS-PPDA bloc is to include Gheorghe Petic in the electoral roll, accused of violating a 31-year-old local from Ungheni.

Candidate no. 33 from the PAS-PPDA bloc, Gheorghe Petic was surprised by a surveillance camera while entering the house of the alleged victim, biological samples were found on his clothes. Petic deny that he had committed rape, even if his lawyer did not deny the sexual intercourse between the two.

Irritated by the question but determined to defend his party colleague at any cost, Andrei Năstase praised Petic for his work at the Border Police.

- Petic is an honest officer, an Intelligence Officer who has deconstructed smuggling schemes at the borders of the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

-I was wondering about the rape charge.

- Miss!

- He's been investigated for rape. That's what I asked you.

- Miss! He was unjustly charged for things he has never done. 

The eventual deployment of the deputy will give Gheorghe Petic immunity.