Ever since Ukraine had unwillingly found itself between the devil and the deep blue sea, it’s been making curious headlines at a speed of light. The newest edition features Mykola Zlochevsky, Ukraine’s former Minister of Ecology and an owner of the well-known natural gas company Burisma Holdings, where Hunter Biden used to have a board seat. On late Friday night, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) detained three individuals for attempting to bribe law enforcement officers into closing a criminal case against Mr. Zlochevsky. While the story has nothing to do with either of the Bidens, it still raises a myriad of questions left to be unveiled.
What happened?
On June 12, Ukrainian prosecutors detained the first deputy head of the State Fiscal Service’s Main Department in Kyiv Mykola Ilyashenko, Burisma’s former chief legal officer Andrii Kicha, and an ex-Fiscal Service employee Olena Mazurova on the account of attempted bribe.
Ilyashenko had allegedly wanted to hand over 6 million USD to the notorious NABU agent Evgeny Shevchenko. The incredulous amount of cash was supposed to convince Special Anti-Corruption Attorney Nazar Kholodnytsky and director of NABU Artem Sytnik to close the Zlochevsky case – a gesture presumably meant as a ridiculous present in time for the oligarch’s 54th birthday on June 14. “Tomorrow is Zlochevsky’s birthday. So, the plan was to get the best result possible – to close criminal proceedings and ensure the return of Mr. Zlochevsky to Ukraine,” the head of NABU Artem Sytnyk explained at a press conference.
There is a head-turning twist, though: Evgeny Shevchenko is a renowned agent and provocateur. His involvement, in turn, should have served as the first shining, waving, and flickering red flag – anyone having access to Google wouldn’t entrust Mr. Shevchenko a 6 million USD bribe. It appears highly odd that a former Burisma chief legal officer – who aided Zlochevsky in many complicated matters – would be outplayed by a man knownto expose akin corruption.
Or Mykola Ilyashenko, for that matter. Ilyashenko is considered one of the most influential people in the Ukrainian tax industry. He’s already been under investigation, with journalists uncovering his eleven apartments and a villa in the countryside. Mr. Ilyashenko suffered downfall under Yanukovych’s presidency, strengthened his positions under Petro Poroshenko, and is currently thriving under Zelensky.
In any case, the bribe failed. Ilyashenko arrived at the meeting with cash, demanding proof that Kholodnytsky had closed the case in the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations. The officials feigned the proceeding’s termination, successfully receiving 6 million USD. That’s when NABU and SAPO – with Shevchenko acting as their agent – came into play, detaining all three suspects. $6 million will be allocated to Ukraine’s state budget.
6 million USD seized as a result of the operation
Burisma, which was at the heart of Donald Trump’s impeachment procedure, denied any part in the events, claiming the company has always adhered to the law.
The Burisma Group and its management have nothing to do with the report of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and some media outlets about participation in illegal actions. In order to avoid speculation, we ask media representatives to avoid identifications and assumptions. The company works exclusively within the framework of the current legislation, is one of the largest taxpayers and defends the interests of energy independence of Ukraine,” they said in their official statement.
Another source within the Burisma Group also denied the company’s ties to the suspects, asserting, “Neither Ilyashenko nor Kicha are employees of the Burisma Group and could not be anyone authorized to carry out any agreements. In particular, Andrii Kicha has not been working for Burisma Group for more than six months. He left the company in order to continue to engage in independent advocacy. The fact that the site has information about him is outdated”.
At the same time, Kholodnytsky and Sytnyk noted that the detainees’ links with Burisma are being verified.
On June 14 and June 15, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine decided on preventive measures for the defendants of the $6 million bribe case. Andrii Kicha was sentenced to 60 days of detention (until August 10) with the right to bail in the amount of 40 million 358 thousand 400 UAH. Ilyashenko's bail, in turn, amounted to 84 million UAH, and Mazurova's to 120 million UAH.
What about the Biden family?
At their joint press conference, Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytsky and director of NABU Artem Sytnik highlighted that neither Biden Sr. nor Biden Jr. was part of a criminal case in question. “They’re not part of this episode, so please leave all political speculations out of it,” the two told the reporters today.
Kholodnytsky and Sytnyk giving a press conference
Indeed, the would-have-been-closed criminal proceeding concerned the National Bank of Ukraine-Real Bank stabilization loan. At the time, the ousted president Yanukovych’s entourage controlled Real Bank, and Zlochevsky served as the country’s Minister of Ecology. The agreement was signed on November 8, 2013, while Hunter Biden made a controversial decision to join Burisma’s board in April 2014. Thus, Biden Jr., even theoretically, couldn’t have been involved in any shady dealings of the aforementioned criminal case.
While today’s situation – unfolding soon after the Derkach tape saga – doesn’t concern the Biden family and may be an exemplary anti-corruption operation, providing Ukraine’s state budget with 6 million USD, the story’s odd details provoke a plethora of questions. At the same time, Ukrainians both cheer on anti-corruption efforts and hope their state is not entangled in what is bound to be a historic presidential race in the U.S.
Last updated on June 15, 2020, 1:28 p.m.
