It claimed that Shuster had failed to inform the agency about a tax evasion case opened by the State Fiscal Service against him. Shuster says the claim was false because he is a witness, not a suspect, in the criminal case.
The State Fiscal Service says that Shuster evaded taxes worth Hr. 2.1 million on an unpaid loan from a resident of Cyprus, while Shuster’s lawyers argue that the loan was not taxable income.
The annulment of Shuster’s permit followed months of pressure on Shuster’s television show by Roman Nasirov, head of the State Fiscal Service and an ally of President Petro Poroshenko. Shuster’s show has been highly critical of both Poroshenko and Nasirov.
The president said on April 26 he would protect free speech amid a public outcry, and the cancellation of the work permit was suspended on April 28.
But nobody was fooled. Poroshenko has routinely used the prosecutor’s office and other agencies to go after his critics and then claimed he had nothing to do with the crackdowns.
Shuster has a controversial reputation and has been accused of promoting populists and selling airtime, which he denies. But that does not matter in this case.
Free speech is sacrosanct, and Poroshenko should not get away with his assault on constitutional freedoms and reform.
