Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko has said that the prosecution will appeal against a ruling of the Borodiansky District Court in Kyiv region, which found former Rector of the National University of the State Fiscal Service Petro Melnyk not guilty of seizing property through abuse of office.

"I do not agree with the case of Rector Melnyk. We won [litigation] at the High Economic Court and returned all this property that was recognized by the court as illegally privatized... Nevertheless, the court released him. We will lodge an appeal, and I am sure that we have arguments for the court of appeal to determine his punishment," he said live on ICTV late on Monday, December 11.

Lutsenko also noted that the Prosecutor General's Office has evidence that the ex-rector personally gave instructions to witnesses so as to privatize 4,000 square meters in favor of his family.