Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin has said that the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has started trial in absentia proceedings against former Deputy Prime Minister Serhiy Arbuzov and former Health Minister Raisa Bohatyriova.

"The procedure of a special investigation (trial in absentia) has been realized for the first time. A request has been sent to the court on trial in absentia of former Health Minister Raisa Bohatyriova and her collaborator Oleksandr Staschenko based on the fact of [illegal] acquiring of UAH 6.5 million of budget money when buying medicines and equipment. The procedure of trial in absentia has been also used against former Head of the National Bank of Ukraine [NBU], First Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minster Serhiy Arbuzov. He's suspected of plundering and acquiring UAH 118 million of state money from the NBU," Shokin said in an interview with "Holos Ukrainy" (Ukraine's Voice) parliamentary newspaper.

He said Arbuzov is currently wanted by Interpol. His and his wife's accounts with over UAH 200 million in them have been frozen. In addition, the Latvian authorities have received an international request from the Ukrainian PGO on freezing over $40 million of Arbuzov's money due to a judicial ruling.

Shokin also said that none of former authorities had been excluded from the sanctions list, and the EU Council had extended sanctions against 17 people. He said that sanctions had been prolonged against former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, former Head of the Presidential Administration Ukraine Andriy Kliuyev, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, former Income and Tax Minister Oleksandr Klymenko, former Energy Minister of Ukraine Eduard Stavytsky, Former Education and Science Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk, former Justice Minister Olena Lukash, former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, former Deputy Interior Minister Viktor Ratushniak, former PM Mykola Azarov, Viktor Yanukovych's son Oleksandr, Pshonka's son Artem, businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, former MP Yuriy Ivaniuschenko, and Bohatyriova and Arbuzov until March 6, 2016.

The sanctions against MP Serhiy Kliuyev were prolonged until October 6, 2015, Shokin said.