Prosecutor of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's
Office (PGO) Vladyslav Kutsenko says the PGO does not plan to dismiss the case
of former Regions Party Member of Parliament and ex-President Viktor Yanukovych's
close ally Yuriy Ivanyushchenko, also known as Yuriy Yenakiyevsky, according to
Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda.
"The PGO has not terminated legal action against Yuriy Ivanyushchenko
and doesn't plan to under any circumstances," he said while commenting on
reports that Kyiv's Solomyansky district court on January 27, 2016, ruled to
close the Ivanyushchenko case within three days because of "the
prosecutor's inaction."
"The said person is presently suspected under Part 3 of Article 368-2
and Part 5 of Article 191, and is on the international wanted list,"
Kutsenko said.
The Solomyansky district court's ruling cited by Ivanyushchenko's lawyer
has not yet entered into force, the prosecutor added.
"In our opinion, it is not lawful and was taken with a gross violation
of the laws. Thus, it was appealed by the prosecutor's office," Kutsenko
said. In his words, the appeal was lodged with Kyiv's Court of Appeals, but he
did not mention the exact date.
"According to the state register of pre-trial investigations, the
legal action continues. And none of our prosecutors will take a decision to
close it," he added.
According to Kutsenko, there were two criminal cases originally opened
against Ivanyushchenko, which were later merged into one – the suspect is
wanted within this case, which was cited by the lawyer as closed.
"This action is on with Interpol's Red Notice filed as part of
it," Kutsenko said.
"Believe me – whichever decision has been taken [by court] – nothing
prevents from re-opening criminal proceedings on other counts," he said.
"The Prosecutor General's Office will not allow under any
circumstances the closure of the Ivanyushchenko case," he assured.
Chief of the PGO special investigations department Serhiy Horbatiuk in turn
assured Member of Parliament, former investigative journalist of Ukrainska
Pravda Serhiy Leshchenko that "the prosecutor's office isn't going to play
that game" and it appealed against the court's ruling.
"At the same time, a request was sent to the court, asking to explain
the legal position of the judge who decided to close the case," Leshchenko
wrote on Facebook.
According to Leshchenko, "none of the judges of Kyiv's Pechersky
district court wanted to tackle Ivanyushchenko's complaint and his case was
transferred to Kyiv's Court of Appeals to change jurisdiction," and then
they "found judge [Oleksandr] Bobrovnyk from Kyiv's Solomyansky district
court."
This was Ivanyushchenko's
new attempt to get rid of European sanctions under which his assets
were frozen, Leshchenko wrote.
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