Moldova’s presidential administration was forced to refute the fake news about “Maia Sandu’s expensive outfits,” which was spread on local Telegram channels.
This was stated by the spokesman for the President of Moldova, Igor Zakharov, as quoted by NewsMaker.
Some Telegram channels wrote that Maia Sandu had been allegedly included in the top 10 presidents with the most expensive wardrobe, according to Vogue magazine.
“For several days now, a big fake has been circulating about President Maia Sandu’s outfits, allegedly costing tens of thousands of euros… This is an outrageous lie born of a lack of ideas and, perhaps, desperation, which has increased after the investigation by The Insider, which exposed the Kremlin’s propaganda networks,” Zakharov said.
According to the spokesman, President Sandu is “known for her modesty and honesty.”
“And thousands of citizens have seen her traveling in the same conditions as ordinary passengers and shopping in the same stores as everyone else,” the presidential spokesman added.
Zakharov said that 80% of the president’s wardrobe is made in Moldova.
As reported recently in Moldova, unknown persons organized a mass mailing, allegedly on behalf of the tax service, in which recipients are urged to support President Maia Sandu’s party and pay 2% income tax.
Earlier, The Insider published an investigation into the Russian network for spreading disinformation known as “Matryoshka”. According to the publication, the pro-Kremlin bots accused Moldovan President Maia Sandu of corruption and repression.
Some of the videos mention Veronica Dragalin, the former head of Moldova’s anti-corruption prosecutor’s office who resigned at her own request in February of this year. According to the fake video, Dragalin promised to send evidence to 300 European media outlets that Sandu took bribes and won the presidential election through fraud.
Dragalin herself did not comment on this information. She left her post because she disagreed with the bill on merging the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases into a new structure, which she called a “threat to justice.” Dragalin is also mentioned on the fake cover of La Tribune magazine, which is also distributed by Russia’s Matryoshka.
During the election campaign in 2024, Sandu and her party, known for their pro-European stance, were targeted by disinformation attacks conducted by pro-Russian actors.
