KYIV. February 3. UNN.
Yulia Tymoshenko's lawyer Serhiy Vlasenko wrote in his blog about new circumstances in the Yevhen Shcherban murder case, which, in his opinion, did not exist before, reports
Analyzing the notice of suspicion served to Yu. Tymoshenko, S. Vlasenko writes that the "key witness" will be a person shyly hidden behind the designation "K. - assistant to L." — Petro Kyrychenko, an assistant to Pavlo Lazarenko. "This is a person who was REPEATEDLY questioned by Ukrainian and American law enforcement officers. Including on issues related to the murder of Shcherban. Being questioned on April 25-27, 2001, in the city of San Francisco, he stated that the only thing he knew about this case was that there was a threat to Tymoshenko's life."
S. Vlasenko emphasizes that after this, P. Kyrychenko said nothing in 2011.
"However, circumstances appeared in the notice of suspicion that NEVER existed before: 1. Allegedly, on November 3, 1996 (the day of Yevhen Shcherban's murder) in the evening (i.e., AFTER the murder), Kyrychenko received 500,000 (five hundred thousand) dollars in cash from Pavlo Lazarenko as part of the payment for the murder. It is clear why this latest lie appeared. Because before this, the investigation told fairy tales that the 'payment for the murder' was made A YEAR after the murder itself. And by bank transfer. So they had to invent cash to make it look at least somewhat 'decent.' At the same time, even if this 'payment' had taken place, it was carried out AFTER the murder (the murder took place around 12:15 PM on November 3, 1996). Will anyone believe in a 'murder on credit'?" writes S. Vlasenko.
Next, the lawyer mentions another "Kyrychenko sensation."
"Allegedly, he had a meeting with Yulia Volodymyrivna, at which he allegedly DIRECTLY STATED that it was necessary to pay for the murder of Shcherban, and Yulia Tymoshenko allegedly stated that she would pay. Note that in support of this thesis, the investigation was NOT ABLE TO EVEN APPROXIMATELY (as they did in other cases — 'first half of 1997') indicate the TIME and PLACE of such a meeting. Because how can one describe something that never happened?" the lawyer writes.
According to S. Vlasenko, "a simple question arises: why did Kyrychenko, who had been saying other things for 17 years, suddenly start inventing something new? The answer is very simple and has two parts. Firstly, in September-November 2011, his wife Isabella Kyrychenko was 'taken hostage' by Kuzmin and spent two months in the Lukyanivska SIZO (remand prison). After which she was suddenly released and allowed to leave for the USA without hindrance."
He writes that Isabella Kyrychenko's position ("the entire time of my stay in the SIZO they demanded testimony against Lazarenko and Tymoshenko from my husband") is outlined in one of her interviews.
"It was precisely at this time that Petro Kyrychenko was questioned. Secondly, according to information from the weekly 'Dzerkalo Tyzhnia,' in the autumn of 2012, all criminal cases against Petro Kyrychenko opened in Ukraine were suddenly closed by the prosecutor's office, and all of Kyrychenko's real estate and his money in accounts, seized a decade ago, were suddenly released from seizure. This is the kind of 'witness' he is. And why, frankly speaking, a witness? If there is testimony from Kyrychenko that he knew he was transferring money for the murder, if he knew that funds 'for the murder' were transferred from the accounts of HIS company ORPHIN, then why is Kyrychenko a witness? He is an ACCOMPLICE. So why then, having such 'irrefutable evidence,' does the prosecutor's office not even mention Kyrychenko as an accomplice?" the lawyer writes.
S. Vlasenko again emphasizes that the case materials regarding the murder of Yevhen Shcherban have still not been provided to the defense. "The refusal was explained by the fact that it could harm the investigation. What investigation, if on January 18 Pshonka stated that the investigation into the Shcherban case is completed?" the People's Deputy believes.
As a reminder, Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka stated at a briefing on January 18 that former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko could face life imprisonment if it is proven that she ordered the murder of People's Deputy Yevhen Shcherban.
Member of the executive committee of the Liberal Party, Member of Parliament Yevhen Shcherban was shot dead on November 3, 1996, at the Donetsk airport upon arrival from Moscow. The perpetrators fled the scene in a car. Shcherban, his wife, and a mechanic died as a result of their wounds. The aircraft's flight engineer died in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the neck. Law enforcement agencies ruled out a political version of the murder and pursued a criminal one as the primary theory.
In April 2003, the Luhansk Region Court of Appeal sentenced Shcherban's killers to life imprisonment. In particular, Vadym Bolotskykh was sentenced to life imprisonment with confiscation of property for the murder of Shcherban. The defendants were members of a criminal group operating in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The leader of the group, Yevhen Kushnir, died in the Donetsk remand prison.
In April, Shcherban's son, Donetsk Regional Council deputy Ruslan Shcherban, stated that he had handed over documents to the Prosecutor General's Office regarding the possible involvement of former Prime Ministers Tymoshenko and Lazarenko in the murder of his father.