Big Yanukovych ally released on small bail

The
decision follows a lengthy tug-of-war over the case between the
Pechersk district court, previously used by the Yanukovych regime in
political cases, and the Prosecutor General’s Office. Viktor Shokin,
who was appointed prosecutor general earlier in February, faces
pressure from civil society to investigate major corruption and
murder cases against Yanukovych’s entourage. There has been little
progress in many of those cases since they were launched a year ago.

Yefremov,
who was detained on Feb. 14, is one of Yanukovych’s few high-ranking
allies who remained in Ukraine after the former president fled the
country during the EuroMaidan Revolution in February 2014.

The
court rejected the prosecutor’s request to issue an arrest warrant
for Yefremov, who had headed Yanukovych’s Party of Regions’
faction in the Verkhovna Rada, arguing that the prosecutors had
failed to justify the charges.

Yefremov
is accused of inciting ethnic hatred for his speeches at the
Verkhovna Rada last year in support of Kremlin-backed separatists.

The
hearings related to the arrest warrant have been delayed several
times since last week, prompting speculation that some underhand
dealings were taking place.

Yefremov
was charged with inciting ethnic hatred last week after the Pechersky
Court released him on Hr 3.6 million ($165,000) bail in a different
case related to abuse of power and document forgery. Yefremov is
accused of
pressuring the state coal company Luganskugol to sign contracts with
service providers, allegedly controlled by Yefremov himself at
excessive prices.

Yefremov
denied all charges, saying that the government’s actions against are
nothing but political witch hunt.

Kyiv
Post staff writer Oleg Sukhov can be reached at [email protected].