And why doesn’t Prosecutor General Lutsenko go to jail, although both should go to jail.
Today, when Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko (Read more: Yuriy Lutsenko. The "Terminator" of Ukrainian Politics) is actively promoting himself using the criminal case against his fellow "brother" from the Orange Maidan of 2004-2005, Vladislav Kaskiv. It's worth recalling another criminal case against Kaskiv, which was closed in 2005. At that time, Kaskiv, a Maidan "field commander," was convincingly accused by investigators of organizing the kidnapping of people, their illegal detention, beatings, and torture.
Back in 2005, this criminal case, initiated by the Pechersk District Police Department in the capital, was shelved and later closed at the insistence of its leadership. The police force at the time was headed by the legendary talker and troublemaker Yuriy Lutsenko. Given his position, he could not have been unaware of the case, much less remained on the sidelines, handing Kaskiv over to the investigation and the law.
Yuriy Lutsenko's typically irresponsible act resulted six or seven years later in Kaskiv's large-scale criminal activity, but on a qualitatively different level. Within Viktor Yanukovych's criminal organization, Kaskiv served as a front (a front for activity) for the theft of billions in state assets.
Wherever he could, Kaskiv personally embezzled tens and hundreds of millions of hryvnias from the state budget; his name became synonymous with massive scandals of national significance. One of them, involving the sham construction of a gas terminal, was aimed at undermining the foundations of state energy security and was closely linked to Russia's intelligence services.
Once again: if Yuriy Lutsenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs in 2005, had shown integrity and not patronized a criminal, Kaskiv would not have been able to commit all the crimes that the investigation accuses him of today.
And another important aspect of the "Kaskiv case," detained at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine in Panama: neither Kaskiv's accomplices (Serhiy Levochkin and Co.) nor the current Prosecutor General's Office leadership, represented by Lutsenko, are interested in extraditing the "Panama prisoner" to his homeland. Because Kaskiv knows a great deal personally about each of the "Maidan scene commanders" of 2005, and even more about those who suppressed the Revolution of Dignity.
And Kaskiv, who possesses the personality traits of a professional blackmailer, is unlikely to remain silent—unless his accomplices abandon him to the mercy of fate. And if Levochkin makes an effort, Ukraine's best lawyers will provide him with legal representation. As a result, the "Kaskiv case" could become an excellent platform for its main defendant—but this time, to expose him with the facts in hand for the "ruling regime." And Kaskiv has something to say.
Incidentally, the unjustified closure of Vladislav Kaskiv's criminal case in 2006 also constitutes a criminal case for all those involved—from the suspect to the former minister, now the prosecutor general.
Given all this, there's little hope for a productive investigation and a fair verdict in the "Kaskiv case." Even if Kaskiv is transferred to Ukraine, he will likely face the usual "fixed deal" that plagues any Ukrainian government, the "division" of personal assets to the victors, a leisurely investigation, and an inexplicably humane trial.
The Kaskiv Case
Criminal case. Criminal case No. 1-337/05 was opened in the winter of 2005 by the Pechersk District Police Department of Kyiv regarding the mass beating and illegal detention of Ukrainian citizens by leaders and activists of the NGO "Pora." It has not yet been properly investigated.
The case's background. In December 2004, at the height of the Orange Revolution, according to an agreement concluded between V. Kaskiv, the so-called coordinator of the Pora group, and representatives of the Wild Division of the UNA-UNSO, the latter were paid three hundred and fifty hryvnias per person per day for guarding Pora events and premises. Initially, the terms of the agreement were met, but at the height of the "revolution," a significant portion of the funds stopped flowing to the rank-and-file members of the Wild Division of the UNA-UNSO. While rank-and-file Maidan participants froze in the cold, the activists never received their payments. This was at a time when, according to later confessions by "field commanders," sympathizers were collecting around one million hryvnias per day in donation boxes installed on the Maidan in Kyiv. Therefore, many questions began to arise for the leaders of the Pora Group of Companies, V. Kaskiv and E. Zolotarev. The culprits needed to be found.
Kaskiv and Zolotarev
From the testimony of one of the victims in criminal case No. 1-337/05: “On the 15th of June 2004, it became clear to me that Vladislav Kaskiv made home with the Vignanians from “UNA-UNSO”, who presented themselves as members of “UNA-UNSO” and wore the indicated paraphernalia, so that they would bury the actions of the GC “Pora” at 1/3 Desyatinniy Street in Kiev, the protest actions on Kontraktovaya Ploshcha, then on the street. Bankovy, z grudnya 2004 roku booth No. 20 on the street. Lutheran in the city of Kiev... In the birth of 2004, Vladislav Kaskiv raised awareness about those who know money and material values from the funds of the GC “Time”. You yourself want to find out the culprits and punish them. Since pennies and valuables were seen by all the activists of the Pora Group of Companies without any notes or records, it was impossible to find out who was responsible.”
From the testimony of the accused Roman Dubenevich (nicknamed "Rupor"): "The question of who stole the money from UNA-UNSO, given by the Revolution, was very pressing... After the incident that took place on December 11-12, 2004, I learned that Oleg Buryachok took the money for himself, I was even an eyewitness to this once - I don't remember the date.
I also learned that "Pole"—Andrey Bondarenko—in order to cover up the thefts, he made a deal with Pora's chief coordinator, Kaskiv, to provide several Pora activists so they could be publicly accused of stealing allocated funds and clear themselves before the Revolution's leaders (highlighted—"A"). On December 11, 2004, Kaskiv and Zolotarev dragged N. and K. into Kaskiv's Mercedes-Benz Vito, and Zolotarev drove them to 20 Lyuteranskaya Street, where Bondarenko and Buryachok were waiting. In this building, Zolotarev handed N. and K. over to Oleg Buryachok. Oleg Buryachok gave orders to hold N. and K. in the building and torture them to determine who stole what funds, when, and by whom.
The reasons, motives, and circumstances of the theft of revolutionary funds were investigated by "public investigators"—"Nazi," "Papa," "Rupor," "Kum," "Palchik," and others. From a witness's testimony: "...UNA-UNSO members were constantly present in the building:"
— “The megaphone” — Dubinevich Roman Anatolyevich, who called this headquarters — “The Press Center” — meaning that in this place people are “pressed”, namely, tortured and beaten,
- "Odessa" - Frolkov Andrey Evgenievich.
- "Papa,"
— "Nazi",
- "Kum" - previously fought in Afghanistan,
- "Finger" - Valery,
- two "Znamenskys": one nicknamed "Sergeant" - the shorter one, and the second, who is taller - named Mikhail,
- Dets Alexander Yuryevich,
- Matsiuk Nikolai Pavlovich - former district police inspector,
— Sometimes Buryachok Oleg Anatolyevich appeared, an assistant to one of the leaders of UNA-UNSO, Bondarenko Oleg, nicknamed "Pole".
From time to time Evgeny Zolotarev came into the room.
The goal of the "interrogation" was to extract confessions to the theft at any cost. The victims were stripped of their belongings, then beaten, humiliated, stripped, beaten again, dressed in women's clothing, and abused again. The following evening, two activists from the "Pora" group, searching for their missing comrades, entered the house at 20 Lyuteranskaya Street and were also caught in the crossfire. The "investigators" immediately implicated them in the theft. However, in their "explanatory statements," the "detainees" wrote that Vladislav Kaskiv (highlighted - "A") personally collected the money from the boxes on the Maidan. After several hours of torture and beatings, they finally "confessed" their "guilt."
Having obtained their "confessions," the torturers threw three of the four victims into a car and drove them to a metal warehouse (Kyiv, Elektrikov Street, 12). There, after further torture, the victims were forced to carry and stack metal to "make amends" and "atone" the Pora leaders.
Their work was personally interrupted by V. Kaskiv, E. Zolotarev and O. Polischuk.
From the victim's testimony: "... After their arrival, the guards removed the handcuffs from them, led them out of the trailer, and put them in the specified car... After that, they all drove off somewhere together. After that, Kaskiv V.V., together with Zolotarev E.V., took them: (N, M, and K) (last names, first names of the victims) to the office. located at 1/3 Desyatinnaya Street. Arrived at 4:10 p.m. ... Kaskiv V.V. explained that funds had been disappearing from the Pora Group of Companies, and he decided that they were involved in this, and therefore wanted to scare them, namely, he gave instructions that they be taken to house No. 20 on Lyuteranskaya Street in Kyiv and kept there in order to use this example to intimidate others."
Upon their release, the injured activists of the "Pora" group immediately filed a police report. Despite the police's reluctance—the Maidan was raging around the corner—a criminal case was nevertheless opened, the victims' statements were taken, and evidence was collected. However, further progress was hampered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, which in 2005 was headed by Yuriy Lutsenko, a colleague of V. Kaskiv and also a "field commander of the Maidan." The official reason for suspending the investigation was the inability to establish the whereabouts of V. Kaskiv and Yevgeny Zolotarev since March 2005. However, the investigation even found people with the same last names as Kaskiv and Zolotarev living in Kyiv.
The "Maidan commanders" also evaded investigators' subpoenas:
In August 2005, criminal case No. 1-337/05 was heard by the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv (Judge A. Strizhevska), and later by the Court of Appeal, which returned the case to the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office for further investigation. The case's subsequent fate is unknown, but it could easily be revived under any government.
Ingratitude. Despite the fact that his longtime comrade, Yury Lutsenko, as Minister of Internal Affairs, effectively saved V. Kaskiv from criminal prosecution and imprisonment, V. Kaskiv himself never once spoke out in defense of Yury Lutsenko.
Read more: Yuriy Lutsenko. The "Terminator" of Ukrainian Politics
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