Number of cases against businesses closed by prosecutor's office down by 80% from 2021 – Manifest 42
The number of closed criminal cases related to economic activities in 2023 is the lowest in the last five years, the public union Manifest 42 said, citing official data from the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine.
According to statistics from the Prosecutor General’s Office, 324 proceedings were closed in January-November 2023, which is 80% less than in 2021, its representatives noted at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.
According to the data presented, if 1,552 cases were closed in 2021, 1,301 a year earlier, and 1,586 in 2019, then in 2022 the number of closed cases decreased to 553, and over the 11 months of this year fell to 324.
“The procedure for closing criminal cases against businesses requires simplification and automation. On their own initiative, investigators very rarely initiate the closure of “stuck” criminal cases. But for bribes - please. During 2022-2023, investigators almost stopped closing cases against businesses,” states the member of the Council of CEO Club, co-founder of Manifest 42 Volodymyr Tereschenko.
Manifest 42 is a social movement created by business in the summer of 2023. The stated goal is to protect from arbitrariness of rear security forces, corrupt officials and judges, 'black' notaries and registrars.
The manifesto was signed by 42 representatives of enterprises and investors, including Head of the Association of Entrepreneurs of ATO Veterans Serhiy Pozniak, General Director of Concorde Capital Ihor Mazepa, co-owner of Nemiroff Yakov Gribov, CEO of OKKO Vasyl Danyliak, President of Obolon Oleksandr Slobodian, co-owner of Dobrobut clinics Oleh Kalashnikov, the heads of Farmak Filya Zhebrovska and Astarta Viktor Ivanchyk, Serhiy Sypko from Agrofusion.
Article 42 of the Constitution of Ukraine states that everyone has the right to entrepreneurial activity not prohibited by law. The entrepreneurial activities of MPs, officials of state authorities and local governments are limited by law. The state ensures protection of competition in business activities.
