Termocom threatens to sue economist Veaceslav Ionita

Chisinau's heat supplier Termocom accuses Veaceslav Ionita, an expert with the IDIS Viitorul think tank, of having launched “lying insinuations, has mocked at and offended the distributor of heating agent” in a news program on PRO TV on November 11. Termocom asks the economist to unveil his sources from where he got the information and to decline his statements publicly, in the same TV program, during three days. Otherwise the company will sue him, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the Termocom administration, Veaceslav Ionita groundlessly allegedly accused the company of irregularities: “embezzling 85 million annually” and selling the heat at high prices. “Veaceslav Ionita's statements are erroneous, lying and do not correspond to reality. They were expressed with the intention to diminish the reputation and the image of the heat distributor, having as an effect the undermining of the company's work,” reads a press release by Termocom. On the other hand, Veaceslav Ionita rejects the accusations specifying they are but opinions and value judgments, made by exerting his right to free speech and the access to information, which are guaranteed by the European Convention of Human Rights. “According to the national and international practice, it is impossible to fulfill the request of proving the truthfulness of value judgments. On the other hand, requesting to prove the veracity in this case would represent a violation of the freedom of speech,” reads a letter sent by Veaceslav Ionita to the heat supplier. According to the letter, Veaceslav Ionita did nothing but to inform the public about some data and interpretations deduced by IDIS Viitorul concerning the work of Termocom and of other actors in supplying Chisinau municipality with heat. The economist shows his availability to prove, in the court, the lack of reason and the subjective character of the supplier's claims. He specifies he will insist to start a probe to find the fact presented by IDIS Viitorul in the report on the work of the company. The economist asks Termocom for starting an internal search to find out why it presented the authorities data containing unchecked and contradictory information resulting in “weird” conclusions, and publicize its results, the economist writes.