Ukraine security service alleges illegal transfer by Yanukovych

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) identified an illegal UAH 10 mln transfer of funds to Russia by Oleksandr Yanukovych, the son of Ukraine’s former president, its press service reported on Aug. 13. To enable the transfer, Yanukovych’s company, MAKO, made a fake purchase in Russia for industrial equipment, the report said. The SBU has informed the Prosecutor General of Ukraine of the illegal scheme in order to arrest the bank accounts of Yanukovych’s enterprises, the report said. In response, MAKO released a statement on Aug. 13 insisting the UAH 10 mln transfer was legal, the pravda.com.ua news site reported.

Zenon Zawada: It’s positive that the SBU is pursuing alleged crimes by the Yanukovych administration. But once again, this is small peanuts. The failure to address the more serious crimes can only be explained by incompetence, a severe lack of resources or tacit agreements reached with the president. We believe it’s a combination, which is why the president’s public support is dismal. Yet even for these peanuts, it’s worth seeing criminal charges.