50. Olesea Stamate on her experience in tackling corruption in Moldova

On this very special -- the 50th -- episode of Kickback the Global Anti-Corruption Podcast, we welcome Olesea Stamate, who served as Minister of Justice in the past Moldovan government and is currently judicial advisor to the Moldovan president Maia Sandu. The podcast covers her unique background, working both for civil society and within the government to fight corruption in Moldova. Matthew and Olesea discuss the political situation and the threats of state capture in Moldova. The interview covers the challenges that arise from having external audits of the judiciary system and the current considerations in Moldova to unify the two main anti-corruption institutions of the country (the national anti-corruption center & chief prosecutors office). Olesea reflects on when the pressure by international organizations has been helpful. Finally, the interview touches on the banking fraud case which some have dubbed the “theft of the century” and Olesea chimes in on how the apparent lack of whistleblowers (more in links below). Further Reading: Bank Fraud case https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldovan_bank_fraud_scandal Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kickbackpodcast