More data on Timoshenko case forwarded to Interpol

MOSCOW, December 8 (Itar-Tass) - The Chief Military Procurator’s Office of Russia addressed to the Interpol HQ in Lyons on Wednesday some additional evidence on the case of former head of the “United Energy Systems of Ukraine” industrial and financial corporation Yulia Timoshenko, who was declared internationally wanted on charges of bribing some officials of the Russian Defence Ministry.

Chief Military Procurator of the Russian Federation Alexander Savenkov stated here on the same day that “an inquiry came from the Interpol HQ today on the criminal case, in which Timoshenko figures as a defendant. “We have addressed an answer to the Interpol Office in Russia and it is to be forwarded to the Interpol HQ in the course of the day”, Savenkov stated.

The Interpol inquiry dealt with some procedural matters, Savenkov added. “They were purely technical, relating to information on Yulia Timoshenko, on the date when the criminal proceedings were instituted against her, etc. Of course, all those documents were provided in full and in keeping with the international standards and Interpol requirements,” Savenkov explained.

Today, he stressed, the prosecution “has proofs that nobody else but personally Yulia Timoshenko was behind the bribing of five officers of the Russian Defence Ministry”. The investigation has shown that those officers had “committed definite actions in the interests of the Ukrainian side during the drafting of contracts on the purchase of building materials for the needs of the Defence Ministry. Their cost was overstated by a total sum of 80 million U.S. dollars”.

Touching on the problem of Timoshenko’s parliamentary immunity, Savenkov noted that “the latter envisages definite procedures to bring an MP to book and there is such a procedure in Ukraine, too”. In his opinion, “such immunity can be surmounted in the event of certain circumstances. The case contains enough evidence for law-abiding citizens to pass a decision on this problem,” Savenkov said.

He bluntly denied the alleged political background of the “Timoshenko case”. We are faced with a criminal offence, which boils down to the bribing of some Defence Ministry officials. Timoshnko headed a non-state private commercial company when the criminal proceedings were instituted against her. And no political aspects were taken into account in the course of the inquiry.

Russian law enforcement bodies had cooperated with their Ukrainian colleagues during the investigation. They carried out joint investigative actions, expert appraisals, and audits. Savenkov recalled that Russian courts of arbitration, just as the Ukrainian courts, had complied with the claims to the “United Energy Systems of Ukraine” corporation and their fulfilment has been under way for more than two years, but the losses inflicted on the Russian Defence Ministry have still not been fully recouped.

Data on Timoshenko were published on Tuesday on the official Interpol site in the column of wanted persons.

This information was later deleted from the site pending the receipt of additional data from Moscow, Interpol explained.

Yulia Timoshenko on Interpol’s wanted list

08.12.2004, 08.53

MOSCOW, December 8 (Itar-Tass) - Interpol has posted on its official website data on the former deputy prime minister of Ukraine, Yulia Timoshenko. A Ukrainian opposition leader is listed among persons on Interpol’s wanted list.

Timoshenko was put on the wanted list by the Russian Military Prosecutor’s Office at the end of September. The head of the office’s investigation department, Vladimir Samusev, said then that the ex-head of the industrial-financial corporation Unified Energy Systems of Ukraine, Yulia Timoshenko, was accused of bribing Russian officers. He said she had not turned up for hearing charges against her and interrogation.

“In connection with that, she was put on the international wanted list, while the court ruled her custody,” sources from the General Prosecutor’s Office said. Several days later, the Russian office of Interpol received necessary documents.

The submission of documents to Interpol means that the organization has all grounds for detaining the person on the international wanted list in the countries covered by Interpol activity and decide his or her extradition.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office was informed on that decision, but law enforcement agencies of Ukraine have no right to detain Timoshenko, who enjoys immunity as parliamentary deputy. Besides, under international norms the countries are banned from extraditing their own nationals.

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