Lawyer: Kyrylo Kernes will not be prosecuted for alleged drug trafficking due to statute of limitations

Kyrylo Kernes, the son of former Kharkiv mayor Gennadiy Kernes, will not be prosecuted for alleged drug trafficking because the statute of limitations has already expired. This opinion was expressed by lawyer Denis Tsypin in an exclusive commentary to UNN.

Earlier, we told you that Kyrylo Kernes avoided criminal prosecution for the distribution of ecstasy and marijuana. In particular, during the investigation of one of the criminal cases of drug trafficking in Kharkiv, investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine found out that Kyrylo Kernes had been selling ecstasy and marijuana in the Kharkiv nightclub Laboratoria for two years.  However, Kernes, as well as another person involved in the case, cocaine suspect Igor Gavrilov , were never punished. The case was to be heard by a court in Odesa.

"No, we still have Lozovyi's amendments, which provide for the investigation timeframe, and the case was closed according to the investigation timeframe, and that's it," Tsypin said when asked whether law enforcement officers could return to the investigation.

According to Tsypin, it is common for Odesa to close criminal cases due to the statute of limitations.

"Well, we can only speculate here, you know. They closed the case against one and against the other. Odesa is famous for such decisions, investigators work like that there. A kind of "special court", they usually have this practice," Tsypin said.

Recall 

Kyrylo Kernes is suspected of possibly assisting pro-Russian elements to destabilize the region. Russian-backed politician Yevhen Muraiev may use Kernes to advance Russian goals in Ukraine. Sources of UNN reported that Kyrylo Kernes regularly travels to Vienna to meet with Muraiev.