You're reading: Court approves investigation in absentia of former defense minister Yezhel

Kyiv’s Pechersky District Court has approved a motion filed by the main military prosecutor of Ukraine that calls for a special pre-trial investigation of a criminal case involving former Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Yezhel.

The office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine (PGO) on Monday said Yezhel is suspected of committing crimes punishable according to Part 2, Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misuse of power or public office resulting in serious consequences), an offense punishable by up to a 3-year jail term and fine of 500,000 to 1 million untaxed minimum wage earnings (from UAH 8,500 to UAH 17,000).

“Yezhel is suspected of misusing public office and assisting a third party from 2011 to 2012. He issued four separate tasks paid for by budget resources not paid to the organizations which carried them out (commercial entities were contracted to provide food services to Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel). These actions cost the state about UAH 43 million and had serious consequences,” the PGO’s press office said.

According to law-enforcement agencies, Yezhel has been put on the Ukrainian government’s wanted list and steps have been taken to put him on the international wanted list. The court has authorized his arrest and transfer to a court for determining pre-trial detention pending trial.