On January 15 Verkhovna Rada voted to support the interpolation by members of the Anti-Mafia Association Hryhory Omelchenko and Anatoly Yermak to Prosecutor General Mykhailo Potebenko and Director of the Security Service (SBU) Volodymyr Radchenko demanding an investigation of the alleged sales of arms to the Afghan government by Ukrainian officials. As culprits, the interpolation names Vadym Rabynovych, SBU former Director Leonid Derkach, and People’s Deputy Andriy Derkach. An article placed by Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine on its Spiegel Online website, (www.spiegel.de) called “Weapons For the Talibs?” said, referring to Russian security experts, about the resale of arms to the Afghan Talibs by Ukrainian media lord Vadym Rabynovych jointly with SBU former Director Leonid Derkach and his son, member of Verkhovna Rada Andriy Derkach. Interfax-Ukraine quotes the interpolation as saying that the article in Spiegel and other media reports about the arms trafficking by Ukraine’s officials were increasingly in the public limelight, threatening to undermine Ukraine’s international reputation and jeopardize the country’s security. People’s deputies have demanded a comprehensive and unbiased investigation into the Spiegel story to be launched by the Prosecutor General’s Office within the framework of a criminal case opened by the PGO on December 18, 2001 to ascertain the legality of the accused figures’ actions.
Recall that the Prosecutor General’s Office has earlier filed criminal charges for illegal arms trafficking, following an inquiry by lawmakers Hryhory Omelchenko and Anatoly Yermak, who accused National Defense and Security Council Secretary Yevhen Marchuk, former SBU Director Leonid Derkach, and his son Andriy Derkach of complicity in the illegal arms sales. From his part, Yevhen Marchuk called the allegations on his and other officials’ involvement in the arms trafficking an outright provocation and appealed to the NDSC and President Leonid Kuchma to instruct the SBU, GPO, and Foreign Affairs Ministry to thoroughly investigate the accusations of illegal arms sales leveled against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Vadym Rabynovych, the main culprit according to Der Spiegel, said in an emotional interview with the Ukrayinska pravda Internet publication (www.pravda.com.ua), “What they are claiming is obvious to all commonsense people, with or without an interest in the case,” adding that he has already filed a libel suit against Spiegel in Dusseldorf.






