OCO President says crime must not go unpunished

10:58, 13.11.2013 1 min read

Geneva, Novembre 12, 2013 OCO (Organized Crime Observatory) President, Nicolas Giannakopoulos, responded to media questions about its interim report on Ukraine today, with journalists focussing on the issues of cybercrime and the detention of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Journalists asked whether OCO felt it appropriate, based on its review of legal documents from the United States and Switzerland, whether Tymoshenko should be freed ahead of the EU summit at Vilnius. Mr Giannakopoulos responded that he did not agree: “Ukraine should be ashamed if it releases Tymoshenko as democracies should not bow to pressure in relation to crime. Evidence from the United States points to a clear link with Pavlo Lazarenko and the laundering of money from the pockets of Ukrainians. Crime is crime and must not go unpunished.” On cyber-crime, Mr Giannakopoulos called on law enforcement agencies worldwide to cooperate on a growing crime that has touched one in every two Ukrainians and is a major concern for the future. http://www.o-c-o.net/press/