Prosecutor General: Yanukovych took $32 billion to Russia, financing separatism in Ukraine.
Last edited Tue Apr 29, 2014, 09:13 AM - Edit history (1)
Disgraced former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage, whose criminal regime was toppled on Feb. 22 after the three-month EuroMaidan revolution, took $32 billion in cash to Russia, said Ukraine’s Acting Prosecutor General Oleg Makhnitsky in an interview with the Financial Times on April 28.
He believes Yanukovych is using this money to finance the pro-Russian separatist movement in the eastern regions of Ukraine. Russia continues to harbor the ex-president who authorities have implicated in murder and grand corruption. Makhnitsky added that Russia refuses to cooperate with Ukraine to extradite the wanted former head of state who fled overnight on February 21-22.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained that Yanukovych is still the legitimate president of Ukraine and doesn’t recognize the interim government in Kyiv. Russia invaded and annexed the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in March-April, which is a part of Ukraine, after Yanukovych’s get away.
Interestingly, Ukraine’s state budget for 2014 is only $31.5 billion, according to the April 29 hryvnia rate on the interbank exchange market. The country urgently needs financial assistance to cover the $24.4 billion fiscal gap, Prime Minister ArseniyYatsenyuk earlier stated. Recovering the money with which Yanukovych and his inner circle allegedly absconded to Russia may contribute greatly to solving this problem.
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/prosecutor-general-yanukovych-took-32-billion-to-russia-financing-separatism-in-ukraine-345544.html
Re-report from FT Sunday so not LBN.
Former Ukrainian Officials Allegedly Funneled $32 Billion to Russia
Former Ukrainian officials have funneled $32 billion to Russia, Ukraine's acting prosecutor general has said ahead of a meeting in London on tracking money allegedly stolen by ousted Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's entourage.
Russia is "officially harboring criminals such as Yanukovych" and his senior aides "without recognizing their guilt," Acting Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnitsky said in comments published on the prosecutor office's website Monday.
"All countries except Russia are actively cooperating with Ukraine," he said. "According to the latest investigative data, at least $32 billion have been taken out to Russia alone."
Four British ministers and several senior U.S. officials, along with representatives of about 20 other countries, are scheduled to attend a meeting in London this Tuesday and Wednesday to help Ukraine track and recover billions of dollars allegedly stolen by Yanukovych's entourage, The Financial Times reported Sunday.
Makhnitsky said that Switzerland has identified $2 billion originating from Ukraine that had made its way into Swiss bank accounts by the end of 2012
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/former-ukrainian-officials-allegedly-funneled-32-billion-to-russia/499164.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
