12:20 16.02.2017

Kholodnytsky expresses willingness to meet Onyshchenko in London

2 min read
Kholodnytsky expresses willingness to meet Onyshchenko in London

The head of the Special Anti-corruption Office (SAPO) of Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (GPO) has said he is ready to meet in London with Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy Oleksandr Onyshchenko after receiving the necessary international documents.

"Onyshchenko's responses to questions [via Skype] boiled down to 'I did not hear that,' 'We have to see,' and 'I don't remember.' The SAPO office is checking all information [regarding Onyshchenko's recordings]. I don't rule out travelling to London to depose him," Kholodnytsky told journalists in Kyiv on Thursday, commenting on the case, dubbed "The Onyshchenko Recordings."

The SAPO chief said it would be necessary to comply with international procedures.

"It is necessary to receive permission from the British side in order to conduct investigative work on the soil of a sovereign state, and these permissions are not doled out like parking lot chits. It will take some time," he said.

As earlier reported, Onyshchenko is suspected of organizing a corrupt scheme to steal money through the extraction of natural gas and sale under cooperation agreements with Ukrgazvydobuvannia. As a result, the state was bilked for some UAH 3 billion. Ukraine's SBU security service has opened its own investigation into the shenanigans after receiving information about possible state treason.

Onyshchenko in December 2016 accused the administration of President Petro Poroshenko of buying votes in parliament through him and other MPs.

Lawmakers approved a measure allowing law-enforcement officials to arrest Onyshchenko. However, the day before the vote, using his status as MP, Onyshchenko fled Ukraine. He was put on the international wanted list on August 8, 2016.

In December 2016 the Internet news portal Strana.ua released snippets of audio recordings. One is purported to be a recording between Onyshchenko and Will of the People faction head Oles Dovhy. Another recording of a conversation purportedly between Onyshchenko and former MP Mykola Martynenko was subsequently released.

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