In ENGLISH | РУС/УКР
Sign in | Register
Mobile version | Subscription | RSS Archive
KyivPost

PACE rapporteur says Lutsenko is 'victim of a political vendetta'

Print version
Feb. 27, 2012, 5:26 p.m. | Politics — by Kyiv Post

Kyiv Post

SEE ALSO
Editor's Note: The following is a statement in response to a judge's sentence of Ukraine's former Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko to four years in prison. The statement was issued by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Feb. 27.
 STRASBOURG - Former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko, who was sentenced today by a Kyiv court to four years in prison for abuse of office and abuse of power, is "the victim of a political vendetta," according to Marieluise Beck of Germany, a rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

"As a reformist interior minister who - among other things - dismantled the criminal hit squad within the ministry responsible for such high-profile
crimes as the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze, he angered some persons who are now back in power," said Beck.

"The trial against him was unfair, as shown in detail by the observers of the Danish Helsinki Committee. Furthermore, the 'crimes' for which he was convicted could not possibly justify a term of imprisonment even if the prosecution had been able to prove all the allegations against him."

Lutsenko had been charged with having signed an order whilst on holiday, not having cancelled the traditional "National Militia Day" despite a general instruction from the then Prime Minister to make budgetary savings where possible, and finally with letting the Ministry overpay his personal driver and provide him with an official flat.
READ MORE IN SECTION
The Kyiv Post is hosting comments to foster lively debate. Criticism is fine, but stick to the issues. Comments that include profanity or personal attacks will be removed from the site. If you think that a posted comment violates these standards, please flag it and alert us. We will take steps to block violators.
Khvylia Feb. 28, 2012, 6:09 a.m.    

The more venom that the Yanukovych Administration spits at the Opposition adds nothing but more fuel to the fire that will ultimately consume them. It is only they who are responsible for their destiny to "Dante's Inferno" (a living hell).

{# <-- parent id goes here
Advertising link

KyivPost

© 1995–2012 Public Media

Web links to Kyiv Post material are allowed provided that they contain a URL hyperlink to the www.kyivpost.com material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. Otherwise, all materials contained on this site are protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced without the prior written permission of Public Media at news@kyivpost.com
All information of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency placed on this web site is designed for internal use only. Its reproduction or distribution in any form is prohibited without a written permission of Interfax-Ukraine.