Hryhory Omelchenko Accuses Prosecutors Of Double Standards in Justice

On June 16 Verkhovna Rada on the initiative of Hryhory Omelchenko set up a temporary commission to investigate the facts of Ukrainian officials opening foreign exchange accounts outside of Ukraine along with the use and concealment of receipts in foreign exchange transferred to such accounts. Omelchenko presented the lawmakers with materials relating to verification of the legality of the foreign financial and commercial activity (including opening commercial structures and foreign currency accounts, the use and concealment of receipts in hard currency) by former Presidential aide and People’s Deputy Oleksandr Volkov.

On November 29 People’s Deputy Hryhory Omelchenko, one of the leaders of the Anti-Mafia Group of legislators, said he thinks that the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office is demonstrating “double standards and double morality.” Commenting to the media on the prosecutors’ refusal of November 26 to open a criminal case against Oleksandr Volkov for the illegal opening of foreign exchange accounts outside Ukraine, Omelchenko said, “Unfortunately, the General Prosecutor’s Office initiates or does not initiate criminal proceedings not based on whether officials have committed or have not committed crimes, but based on what posts they hold and how close they are to the circle of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma.” According to him, “Volkov’s actions are identical to those of Pavlo Lazarenko, but in one case they are recognized as infraction of the law and in the other, like Volkov’s case, it is no longer a crime,” Interfax- Ukraine reports.