Open Politics Wins a Round

First there was an official report by Interfax-Ukraine: Crimean Minister for the Agro-Industrial Complex Mykola Orlovsky has been released from custody under pledge not to leave town. This was also revealed last Thursday at a briefing by Mykhailo Potebenko, Prosecutor General of Ukraine. Mr. Potebenko noted the cases had been carefully studied by his office. “There were ample grounds for opening a criminal case against Mr. Orlovsky,” he asserted. He added that they also found violations committed by Liudmyla Denysova, Crimean Minister of Finance, but the Prosecutor’s Office concluded there had been no grounds for prosecuting and detaining her, so it was decided to drop the case. To ensure an unbiased investigation into Mr. Orlovsky’s case, it was decided to hand it over to Zaporizhzhia oblast prosecutors. Answering a journalist’s question, the Prosecutor General said there had been no political pressure to open the criminal case. As reported earlier, Ms. Denysova and Mr. Orlovsky were detained on May 10. Ms. Denysova was released on the same day, when she was in the hospital. Last Friday, Mr. Orlovsky was indicted for abuse of office and misappropriation of budgetary funds. It was at first decided to take the minister into custody pending trial.

In connection with this report, The Day learned that Mr. Orlovsky had attended a Friday morning meeting in the office of Vasyl Kyseliov, acting deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea, where he was warmly greeted by his colleagues.

Mr. Orlovsky, who was already back at work in his office after lunch, thanked journalists for making his case public and said he shared the viewpoint of his lawyer: it was all a frame- up. “I believe,” Mr. Orlovsky said, “the time will come when the true ‘heroes’ of this shameful affair will named.”

Mykola Kutsykov, Mr. Orlovsky’s attorney, told journalists he thought the Prosecutor General’s Office was right to transfer the case to Zaporizhzhia, for this will help reveal the truth. However, he said, Mr. Orlovsky’s case is so transparent that it has no chance to come to court, so the transfer of it to another oblast is nothing but the attempt by prosecutors to save face and “not spoil their record.”

Last Friday The Day’s correspondent also managed to get in touch with Ms. Denysova who is still undergoing medical treatment.

“How do you feel?”

“Thank you, better already. I would like to express my gratitude to, above all, The Day and all the journalists who wrote in newspapers and reported on the radio and television about my predicament. You know, I’ve changed my whole attitude toward life after this. In this situation, I already began to think that all things are measured by the amount of money in the bag that tries to be master of this life, but it turned out just the opposite. It turned out there still are people who can defend professionals who are honestly doing their duty. This fact opened my eyes to very many things: I just saw life from a different angle. I am very grateful to all those who did not stay away from my troubles. And I want you to pass along my thanks to all journalists.”

“Thank you, Ms. Denysova. We, as well as you, were just doing our job. We wish you a speedy recovery and return to work.”

We turned for comment to the Crimean procurator’s office, but, as earlier, we failed to contact anybody there. We still hope our editors will be able to learn the views of top Crimean prosecutors.

Simultaneously, it would be natural to raise this point: those who opened such a resounding and odious case, when, as it is now clear, ministers were framed and thrown behind bars to the detriment of their health, should not get off free. The time must have come when prosecutors, judges, and other law enforcement officers should be held responsible, as all the other citizens are, for breaking the law. Thus the Prosecutor General’s Office should take a follow-up action, i.e., to inform this country’s public about who has been punished and how for unlawful deeds against Ukrainian citizens, for the moral damage and impaired health that this caused.

On the other hand, this case was made public only because such unlawful actions were committed against well-known people holding high posts in society. Many commentators are convinced that in fact law- enforcement bodies have more than once done and must still be doing so with respect to ordinary people. Why is this happening? Who will be held responsible? When shall we reach the necessary level of legal and juridical culture?

In addition, Mr. Potebenko sounds unconvincing when he says, “There were no political motives for opening the criminal case.” By simple logic, if there was no motive, then what was there? For all the circumstances of this case imply that the detention of the minister was not an accidental mistake but an ORGANIZED AND COORDINATED PROCESS. Who organized it? Who gave the coordinated instructions? Who called from where? Can we at last call all this something other than political contract?

In sum, there are no answers so far to all the questions that have arisen in connection with this case. Who should give them if not the Prosecutor General? Perhaps the President?