You're reading: Prosecutor General: Ukrainian representatives invited to Eurojust meeting on ex-minister Zlochevsky’s case

A British court took a decision to unblock the bank accounts of former Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Mykola Zlochevsky and on Nov. 19 Eurojust will host a coordinating meeting on Zlochevsky's case, according to Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin.

“The decision to unlock the accounts was taken by a British court. That is, they conducted their own investigation and concluded that they had no grounds to arrest the accounts,” the prosecutor general said in an interview with the Facts and Comments published on the newspaper’s website on Oct. 17.

“In the view of the situation, we have initiated the establishment of a joint investigation team and the British side agreed. Recently we have received an invitation from them to participate in a coordination meeting of the Eurojust on Zlochevsky’s case in the Hague on November 19. The meeting will also be attended by representatives from Cyprus, Estonia, and Latvia,” he said.

Answering a question on whether the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office will provide the reasoning for the European Union to extend sanctions against the Ukrainian former officials for the next year, the prosecutor general said: “I think that Europe won’t do this (prolong the sanctions). As they usually impose sanctions for a maximum of two years.”

As reported, in January 2015, the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales unblocked the accounts of Brociti Investments Ltd owned by former ecology minister of Ukraine Mykola Zlochevsky in the amount of $23 million on grounds of dismissal of all charges.

In April 2014, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) froze those accounts. The investigation lasted for nine months. In early December of 2013, court hearings were held, and on January 20, 2015, the official decision on the illegality of the arrest of the company’s funds was issued.

Zlochevsky was Ukraine’s ecology minister from June 2010 until April 2012. He owns assets in the Ukrainian oil and gas industry.