20 September 2011
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych plans to initiate amendments to the criminal code to abolish imprisonment for economic crimes, Andriy Portnov, a presidential advisor said last Friday (via Interfax yesterday). Portnov said Yanukovych would submit relevant legislation to the Verkhovna Rada that would do away with imprisonment for any economic crimes and limit punishment to fines that could not exceed the value of damages. Portnov said this Soviet-era rule has been used to pressure Ukrainian businessmen and entrepreneurs. Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said yesterday, according to Interfax, that parliament was not likely to pass the legislation this week, but said it would “sooner or later.” Brad Wells: The clauses of Ukraine’s criminal code on economic crimes are what the prosecution is using against ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is on trial for negotiating Ukraine’s 2009 gas contracts with Russia. This looks to be a potential face saving move for the government wherein they take the high road and the charges against Tymoshenko are dropped. How quick this measure will be brought up for vote will be important – the Tymoshenko trial is due to resume on September 27 and enter its final stage after an unexpected break. This looks far from a done deal to absolve Tymoshenko though – one MP from Yanukovych’s Party of Regions said yesterday evening on a political talk show that amendments to the criminal code were only likely to be passed in November-December.