You're reading: Ukrainian Interior Ministry opens illegal enrichment case against ex-Environment Protection Minister Shevchenko

Oleh Liashko, a Ukrainian parliamentarian and the leader of the Radical Party, has been summoned for questioning to the Interior Ministry's main investigative department as a witness in a criminal case that has been opened based on Liashko's report against former Ukrainian Environment Protection and Natural Resources Minister Ihor Shevchenko on suspicion of illegal enrichment.

Liashko posted a scanned copy of the summons signed by Oleksandr Vakulenko, the chief of the Interior Ministry’s main investigative department, on his Facebook account on Friday.”The Interior Ministry’s main investigative department filed information in the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations on June 23, 2015 on the acquisition by a public official occupying a high-ranking position, namely Environment Protection and Natural Resources Minister Ihor Shevchenko, of significant assets, the legality of the acquisition of which has not been confirmed by proof, which constitutes a crime covered by Ukrainian Criminal Code Article 368-2 Part 3 [illegal enrichment],” it said.

‘The need has arisen today to question you as a witness in this criminal proceeding on the circumstances set out in your report, which has served as grounds for filing information on this fact in the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations. Considering the abovementioned, we ask you to appear at the Interior Ministry main investigative department at 10, Bohomolets Street in Kyiv at 10:00 a.m. on August 12, 2015,’ it said.

In commenting on the summons, Liashko said he would definitely show up. ‘I’ll definitely go there. What’s most important is that Shevchenko shouldn’t flee, as all other corrupt officials,’ Liashko said on Facebook.

It was reported earlier that the Verkhovna Rada had supported the government’s recommendation on Shevchenko’s dismissal. ‘This decision has been dictated by the fact that the Natural Resources Ministry, as a central executive government body, has become unmanageable and is failing to perform the state’s basic functions and duties in the environmental protection field,’ the government press service said. In addition, it said Shevchenko had repeatedly violated the law during his ministerial service.

The minister failed to arrange the targeted and efficient disbursement of funds provided by the European Union as a sectoral budget support to carry out measures envisioned by the national action plan on environmental protection for 2011-2015, it said.