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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUkraine alleges $5 million bribe over Burisma, no Biden link
By Ilya Zhegulev
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian officials on Saturday said they were offered $5 million in bribes to end a probe into energy company Burisma's founder, but said there was no connection to former board member Hunter Biden whose father is running for the U.S. presidency.
The Ukrainian company was thrust into the global spotlight last year in the impeachment inquiry into whether U.S. President Donald Trump improperly pressured Kiev into opening a case against his rival for the November election race.
Trump wants an investigation into the Democrats' 2020 candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son.
Artem Sytnyk, head of Ukraine's national anti-corruption bureau (NABU), said three people had been detained, including one current and former tax official, over the bribe offer.
The money was the largest cash bribe ever seized in the country, NABU said. It was put on display during a press briefing, brought by masked men in see-through plastic bags.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-alleges-5-million-bribe-144135946.html
Trump 2020 campaign workers? It wouldn't surprise me.
moose65
(3,167 posts)Let it be people connected to the Trump campaign. Sweet Jesus please!! 😇
stillcool
(32,626 posts)stopdiggin
(11,316 posts)a least in this particular twist.
(but, wait ... it could have been Flynn, right?)
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mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)But does mention that the people offering the bribe wanted the case dropped by the Burisma's founder's birthday (apparently the investigation was into the founder personally, not the company itself), which it describes as 'Sunday'.
Seems like, given the fact that Biden hasn't worked there in quite some time, the article would offer more in the way of a timeline.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,321 posts)"At first, during the conversation, there was a proposal of $1 million for simply transferring the case to other investigating authorities... After refusing to receive these funds and continuing negotiations, they offered $5 million to close the criminal proceeding and it was important to do this before June 14, 2020," Sytnyk said.
According to him, the funds were seized, and the amount of $1 million, which was in the car of the first deputy chief of the State Fiscal Service of Kyiv, was also seized.
...
"The sum (of the proposed bribe) amounted to $6 million, of which $5 million were intended for a person who should have made the procedural decision to close the case, and $1 million was supposed for consulting services of an intermediary," the head of the SAPO said.
On June 12, a former official, with the assistance of an official of the State Fiscal Service in Kyiv and others, tried to transfer $6 million of illegal benefit to Kholodnytsky and NABU top officials.
https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/668581.html