Alleged economic crimes committed by the ex-head of the Party of Regions faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the seventh convocation, Oleksandr Yefremov, will be examined in a separate case, Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) spokeswoman Larysa Sarhan has said.
“The episode of the case dealing with economic crimes will be examined in a separate criminal case and the required investigatory steps are being taken. It is complicated because Luhanskvuhillia is located in the separatist-held territories [in eastern Ukraine],” Sarhan said on her Facebook page.
She added Yefremov is currently in pretrial confinement, saying Luhansk region’s Starobelsk District Court is hearing his case.
According to Sarhan, Kyiv’s Court of Appeals has partially granted the PGO’s request to extend Yefremov’s pretrial confinement. The request to remand him in custody had been made and granted during the pretrial investigation.
Earlier on March 16, former Justice Minister Olena Lukash said on her Facebook page that on March 15, 2017 Kyiv’s Court of Appeals “recognized as unfounded suspicion that Yefremov had committed acts pursuant to Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (embezzlement) and, correspondingly, the decision to hold him in pretrial custody.”
“Unfortunately, namely at that moment, this victory will not help Yefremov. He is now in Starobelsk and the prosecutor there is attempting to prove his involvement in a very serious crime: violating Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty leading to serious consequences. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment,” Lukash said.
In addition, according to the ex-minister, the chances are good that “during the trial amazing and hitherto unknown facts about the real organizers of mass protests in Luhansk region, probably a group of people acting on the orders of former head of the Interior Ministry main department in Luhansk region Volodymyr Huslavsky, will come out.”
As reported, Yefremov on July 30, 2016 was detained on suspicion of threatening Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty in an airport in Kyiv. He is also charged with supporting the Russian-backed sepatarists and the illegal acquisition of property belonging to Luhanskvuhillia.
