The National Union of Veterans of the Independence War (UNVRI) rejects the accusations about the lack of integrity of its leaders, describing them as “untrue inventions.” “Different slanderous inventions addressed to the UNVRI leadership by Valeriu Ciobanu, Sergiu Tataru and Anatol Caraman have been spread lately in the media,” UNVRI executive director Gheorghe Slutu stated at a news conference at Info-Prim Neo on Friday, March 13. On March 6, the members of the Association of War Veterans on the Nistru “Tiras-Tighina” launched critical statements addressed to four leaders of the Veterans Association. “During 17 years these persons have benefited from veterans for personal purposes, disfavoring the war invalids, widows and their children,” Valeriu Ciobanu, the association’s secretary, stated then. He referred to Eduard Maican, the president of the National Union of the Veterans of the Independence War, Mihai Tomacinschi, the president of the Chisinau municipal organization of the same organization, Victor Alergus, the president of the National Union of Veterans “St. George” and Stefan Trofim, the president of the Union of participants in the military conflict. Those three – Valeriu Ciobanu, Sergiu Tataru and Anatol Caraman – presented photos with houses, pretending that the leaders built them on the money meant for veterans. Gheorghe Slutu said that those real estates were bought in the 90s and accused Valeriu Ciobanu of having received an apartment from the Chisinau City Hall, though he is not a combatant. The UNVRI executive director says that Valeriu Ciobanu never participated in the fights of 1992 and produced a confirmation in this respect by the Ministry of Defense. “We state that the disseminated information doesn’t correspond to the truth. UNVRI has not benefited from any financial assistance from the state or from other national or international organizations, it has no real estates, parking lots, minibus routes, it has no commercial activities. That is why, the statements of the afore-mentioned persons that the leaders of the union “steal the veterans' money and build luxurious houses” are groundless,” Gheorghe Slutu stated. The veterans say they are waiting for a reply from the Chisinau City Hall after submitting a request last week about the way Valeriu Ciobanu benefited from an apartment in, and then they will ask law-enforcement bodies to investigate his activities. UNVRI also stated that it would sue those three for their slanderous statements. “We condemn using the war invalids and veterans for dark purposes and peddling interests. We know that the afore-mentioned persons are manipulated and financed with a single purpose – to spread hostility and to disunite the veterans,” reads a press release of UNVRI. Valeriu Ciobanu could not be found to comment the accusations brought against him.