Serhiy Leshchenko, MP: Interpol stops searching for tycoon Yuriy Ivaniushchenko based on decision of a Ukrainian court

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A Ukrainian court decision allows a bit more freedom, yet there is an interesting way leading the court to this decision.

Kyiv, June 7, 2016. Interpol removed Yuriy Ivaniushchenko’s name from the international search list on April 19. His status changed from “arrest for extradition purposes” to “establishment of whereabouts”. Now he is free to enter any European country with no consequences. This decision has been made on the basis of a ruling of Dniprovskyi district court in Kyiv which closed Ivaniushchenko’s case. The decision has been made by judge Mykola Chaus, informed Serhiy Leshchenko, member of the parliament from Petro Poroshenko’s Bloc, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.

According to Leshchenko, Office of Special Investigations at the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine was trying to resume Ivaniushchenko’s search. “When investigators retorted to Pecherskyi court to receive repeated arrest sanction, the entire court self-disqualified itself on this case. It was an unprecedented event, when all the judges refused to hear a case,” said Leshchenko. After the Prosecutor General’s Office retorted to Kyiv Court of Appeal, which sent the case to the same Pecherskyi court. They continue ping-ponging back and forth. “As far as I’m informed, Yuriy Ivaniushchenko contacted Borys Lozhkin [Head of the Presidential Administration – UCMC note] and Surkis […] and, correspondingly, Igor Kononenko [Deputy Head of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction – UCMC note]. I don’t know whose influence Ivaniushchenko had to use to solve this issue. Nevertheless, it has been solved and it was judge M. Chaus from Dniprovskyi court who solved it. There is also prosecutors’ office that employed people who were openly carrying out illegal actions and were fired. Later they turned out to be assistants to MP Oleksandr Hranovskyi from Poroshenko Bloc,” said Leshchenko. He assumes O. Hranovskyi is directly involved in closing the case.

Leshchenko said that at present courts are hearing a number of cases in the action of Ivaniushchenko against people who are “unveiling his activities”. All these cases are heard by the same judge, Iryna Lytvynova. “Some time ago she made an incompetent decision against Ivaniushchenko’s business partner, Halyna Shepeleva,” added the MP.

Yuriy Ivaniushchenko, one of the closest allies of Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Russia after the Revolution of Dignity. A criminal case was instigated against him for embezzlement received by Ukraine from Kyoto Protocol. He was included into international wanted list on the basis of a court decision.