The representatives of a political party and a number of public organizations request the competent bodies, in particular the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), to examine the case of three lieutenant-colonels in reserve from Moldova who received the rank of general within a foreign organization.
In a news conference at IPN, the leader of the Party “Democracy at Home” Vasile Costiuc said that a number of pictures showing colonels in reserve Vaile Severin, Andrei Vataman and Mihail Garabovschii with symbols of the rank of general were posted on social networking sites during the winter holidays. The three fought with guns in their hands on the Nistru, but now took an oath of allegiance to a foreign, Cossack organization. They determined that the organization belongs to the Russian Federation and was founded to destabilize the situation in Ukraine.
Vasile Costiuc called on the Ministry of the Interior, the Security and Intelligence Service and the Prosecutor General’s Office to examine the situation. “What is the mission of these men on the territory of the Republic of Moldova? What do they do in fact? Do they train Cossack organizations to eventually fight in a war on the side of the Russian Federation?” asked rhetorically Vasile Costiuc.
Anatolie Caraman, chairman of the Tiras-Tighina 1992 War Veterans Association, said he knows personally those officers in reserve who took sides with the enemies. Attempt to create Cossack organizations on Moldova’s territory were made after 2010 too. Even if this is a known fact, nothing has been done in this regard.
Anatol Petrici, who heads the organization “Sirius”, said the situation is serious and the ambassadors of Ukraine and Russia should be invited to provide explanations. He wondered what these officers did to become generals in foreign military organizations.
Vasile Nastas, chairman of the Traco-Dacia Association, noted that the roots of these bodies should be more thoroughly investigated as those officers have inferiors who are spread all over the country and are well funded.
The application to investigate the case will be submitted to the PGO.