Ex-chairman of Supreme Economic Court Tatkov leaves Ukraine before notification of suspicion

Former Chairman of the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine Viktor Tatkov is undergoing medical treatment abroad and had left the country before the notification of suspicion against him was issued, Head of the Special Investigations Department of Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine Serhiy Horbatiuk has said.

"Viktor Tatkov is being treated abroad... He left the country before he was notified of the suspicion of committing a crime, so the notice was sent to his place of residence," Horbatiuk told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

At the same time, Head of the Special Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office has noted that Tatkov's defense lawyer spoke with investigators and provided documents showing that Former Chairman of the Supreme Economic Court is abroad for medical treatment.

As soon as Tatkov returns to Ukraine a court will decide on preventive measures for him, Horbatiuk said. If investigators receive evidence that the ex-judge is hiding from the investigation, appropriate actions will be taken.

As reported, on October 18, the Special Investigations Department of the Prosecutor General's Office issued notifications on suspicion of committing crimes for judges of the Supreme Economic Court of Ukraine, Artur Yemelyanov and Viktor Tatkov, who in 2011-2014 illegally interfered with the judicial decision-making system.

"Investigators have evidence that these persons in 2011-2014 took under their personal control the system of judicial decision-making. About 7,000 cases of illegal intervention in the automated system of distribution of cases and applications, interference in the work of judges with a view of making them issue unjust rulings in economic courts of all levels are currently under investigation," Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko wrote earlier on his Facebook page.

According to Lutsenko, the said persons were notified that they are suspected of committing crimes under Part 2 of Article 376, part 2 of Article 376-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Spokesperson for the general prosecutor, Larysa Sarhan, on her Facebook page wrote that they are currently choosing pre-trial restriction measures for the suspects.

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