You're reading: General Prosecutor: Ex-agriculture minister Prysiazhniuk wanted by police

Pechersky district court of Kyiv has ordered the detention of former Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Mykola Prysiazhniuk so as to choose a measure of restraint for him, a PGO spokesman has reported.

“The Main Investigative Directorate of the Prosecutor General’s
Office is holding inquiry into the criminal case under Part 5 Article
191 [large-scale misappropriation, embezzlement of the property through
the abuse of office, under a preliminary collusion by the group of
individuals] of the Criminal Code of Ukraine against the former Agrarian
Policy and Food Minister,” reads a statement from the PGO press service
of Ukraine.

According to the agency, the ex-official is suspected embezzling
funds of the Agrarian Fund worth nearly UAH 540 million, which were
allocated by the state to buy granulated sugar.

“The ex-minister was put on the wanted list, “the ministry reported.

As reported, on March 21, officers of the Main Department for
Fighting Organized Crimes of the Interior Ministry and the Prosecutor
General’s Office of Ukraine during raids seized a large amount of cash
from Prysiazhniuk: about $300 and around UAH 800,000, plus several
thousands euros in cash.

According to Deputy Prosecutor General of Ukraine Mykola Holomsha,
the ex-minister abused office when purchasing 100,000 tones granulated
sugar and caused losses of over UAH 272 million to Ukraine.