Maidan criminal cases to remain open until changes made to Criminal Procedure Code – Lutsenko
Head of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Yuriy Lutsenko has said crimes under investigation which occurred during the Revolution of Dignity [in late 2013 and early 2014] as well as other criminal cases will remain open until the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopts changes to Ukraine's Criminal Procedure Code. Lutsenko made the remarks during a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.
Chief of the PGO's special investigations office Serhiy Horbatiuk on October 4 said all criminal cases currently under investigation from the time of the Revolution of Dignity would be closed because of changes to the code adopted by the Rada on October 3. He said changes proposed to the code by Radical Party faction deputy Andriy Lozovy would compel investigators to close cases if suspects were not identified within a year of opening the case.
"Lozovy's [proposed] changes would mean that investigators would have six months to investigate a case and another six months pending court approval. That's it. No other extensions are envisioned," Horbatiuk said.
"[Lozovy] must tell parliament leaders that he is proposing changes to a law under which he can be held criminally liable, because he should have been brought to justice for tax evasion," Horbatiuk said.