Ukraine prosecutor declines arresting suspects in Russia military parts scandal

The Prosecutor General of Ukraine doesn’t see the need
to arrest Andriy Rohoza and Vitaliy Zhukov, two suspects involved in the
Russian military parts scandal, the ukranews.com news site reported on Apr. 2,
citing a statement from the office. Amid the public outcry following an
investigative news report broadcast in late February alleging their
involvement, the Main Military Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating their
alleged crimes since 2016 and doesn’t see a risk of flight, pressuring
witnesses or destroying documents, the statement said. Moreover, the two
suspects have fully paid for damages to the state budget related to
underpayment of taxes, the statement said. Investigators are continuing to
pursue criminal charges alleging theft, tax evasion, creating fake enterprises,
legalizing stolen funds and forging documents, the statement said.

Recall, journalists with the bihus.info news site broadcast a sensational report in late
February alleging President Poroshenko’s entourage engaged in
purchases of Russian military parts for resale to Ukraine’s Armed Forces at
inflated prices. As its evidence, the news reported broadcast text messages
sent by Rohoza and Zhukov arranging for the parts purchases and bribes of
Ukrainian law enforcement authorities.

Zenon Zawada: On the one
hand, it could be said that the Prosecutor General’s Office isn’t allowing the
elections to influence its decisions, which is positive. On the other hand,
these suspects seem as deserving as anyone of being arrested/detained under
bail during a criminal investigation, considering the high stakes involved if
the president is not re-elected. Knowing that they are top targets for
prosecution under a new president promising anti-corruption measures, they
could easily decide to flee the country.

So the president could be scoring some desperately
needed electoral points by spending the next 2.5 weeks (ahead of the runoff)
demonstrating to the public that he’ll be serious about fighting corruption and
arresting on bail two members of his entourage. Not doing so doesn’t
demonstrate his desire to separate the prosecutor’s office from politics, which
he had not done throughout his term. Instead, it points to his loyalty to his
entourage, above most other concerns.