Representatives of a number of civil society organizations signed a statement by which they expressed their “profound concern” and condemn PAS MP Alexandru Trubca’s intimidation action against the ombudswoman for children’s rights, environmental journalists and civil society after these pleaded against the incineration of used tires. When being contacted by IPN for a comment, the MP denied the accusations.
The statement says that in the meeting of the Parliament’s commission on environment and regional development of February 7, which centered on the incineration of tires, MP Alexandru Trubca accused Maia Bănărescu, ombudswoman for children’ rights, of taking attitude to the initiative to allow incinerating and co-incinerating tires and enumerated other problems that, according to him, deserved to be given priority, insinuating that the ombudswoman pursues hidden goals. Alexandru Trubca also attacked Lilia Curchi, environmental journalist with over 20 years’ experience who coordinates working group No. 3 of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Platform, and Alecu Reniță, environmental expert with over 30 years’ experience and environmental journalist. The MP invoked that the opinions on the discussed subjects are irrelevant as they are not environmental experts, but journalists.
The signatories said the MP’s intimidation action is aimed at defaming environmental journalism and environmental experts and discourages the efforts made by NGOs, activists and the media to protect the environment. They asked the Parliament’s administration and the PAS group to take note of the MP’s behavior that they consider inappropriate and to come with a reaction of the ethics commission in this regard. “MP Alexandru Trubca should apologize to the persons involved, should use decent vocabulary and should refrain from the manifestation of any form of intolerance, threats or blackmail towards environmental journalists and activists and towards any other citizen/institution in the Republic of Moldova,” runs the statement.
Asked by IPN to comment, Alexandru Trubca said his assertions were misinterpreted, being taken out of context. Some of the participants in the February 7 consultations with civil society insinuated that the authors of the bill defend the interests of a business entity. He then said that if the attending representatives of public associations are so good experts in environmental protection, he will ask the Ministry of Environment, the National Ecological Fund to determine the size of the public funds they managed and the impact they made with these as this is public money. The control over the use of public funds cannot be interpreted as “pressure” or the Court of Auditors and the Financial Inspectorate will have to be closed.
As regards ombudswoman for children’ rights Maia Bănărescu, Alexandru Trubca said he inquired about her approaches to other environmental problems, like the wastewater treatment stations at private companies in Chisinau, which are absent and, as a result, their residual water go to the wastewater treatment station in Chisinau and cause that unbearable smell in the city, or the overhaul stations that do not test cars for COS emissions, while the noncompliant cars pollute the environment. He noted that the ombudswoman’s approaches should be more comprehensive and should cover all these problems.
