The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has handed over to the Verkhovna Rada Speaker a list of seven deputies now under scrutiny at the Prosecutor General’s Office. SBU chairman Leonid Derkach announced this at a press conference on March 24. The hit list includes deputies Valery Babych (former president of the Ukrainian Financial Group), Serhiy Kryvoshyia (former chairman of the board of directors of Ukrinbank), Serhiy Rys (former president of the Shelton Joint Venture), Ihor Kyriushyn (Shelton vice president before being elected People’s Deputy), Volodymyr Pliutynsky (former head of the Zoria agribusiness firm), Vasyl Khmelnytsky (who ran the Real-Grup Company), and Leonid Chernovetsky (former president of the Praveks Concern). SBU found signs of corrupt activities.
Perhaps, the question in most cases is that these lawmakers combined their parliamentary duties with business. Most of those featured on the list had or have a direct relationship with large commercial structures. However, as General Derkach himself admitted, the recently passed amendments to the law on entrepreneurship “make it possible to consider these acts of corruption administrative.” Under the amendments, a person who has founded a commercial entity is not considered an entrepreneur if she does not actively influence the work of this enterprise. In particular, Mr. Chernovetsky’s secretary referred precisely to this amendment, trying to refute the SBU accusations. Ihor Kyriushyn is also taking the same stand. He is convinced the amendment only imposes administrative liability on a Deputy who has founded a commercial structure.
The SBU levels more serious charges only against Mr. Khmelnytsky. According to the SBU chairman, he “cannot be a deputy, for he ran for and entered Parliament under forged documents.” Incidentally, his SBU reference note, obligatory for a candidate, was also fake.
Moreover, four on the list are members of the Green faction. On March 24, this fraction held active consultations about its possible reaction to this event. So far, it has refused to comment. And according to chairman of the parliamentary procedural committee, Viktor Omelych, the latter has no information about the list because all mail addressed to the Speaker remains unopened while he is away. All further decisions will be made by Ivan Pliushch when he returns from his official junket.
PS. As we go to press, it has become known that the Green faction is preparing a strongly-worded statement about the SBU list. According to preliminary information, the Greens interpret it as an attempt to exert political pressure.
