Alexandr Gorobets: Ukrainian parliament demands to clear up the situation with illegal arm sale

A great political scandal is being continued in Ukraine, connected with implication of Yevgeni Marchuk, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, and Leonid Derkach, father of the President’s godchild (former chairman of Ukrainian Security Service), and his son, Andrei Derkach, the president’s godchild and Ukrainian people’s deputy, in illegal arm sale. Now, the Supreme Rada also participates in the scandal. The parliament accepted the inquiry addressed to the Public Prosecutor General’s Office and to the Security Service, demanding to investigate the accusations of illegal arm sale against Evgeni Marchuk and Leonid and Andrei Derkach. The inquiry was initiated by Antimafia public committee’s chairman, people’s deputy Grigori Omelchenko and his colleague Anatoli Yermak. The inquiry was supported by 160 deputies of the Supreme Rada (while to take a decision only 150 voices are necessary), most of all from the Communist Party’s faction, from the Socialist Party, from Ukrainian Rukh People’s Movement and Yulia Timoshenko’s party “Batkivschina.” No one of the parliamentarians belonging to presidential structures did not support it. They prefer not to take part in the voting at all. According to Omelchenko, the investigation was caused by accusations against Marchuk and both of the Derkaches, appearing in the press. “In foreign and Ukrainian mass media a squabble between high officials has started,” – Grigori Omelchenko said while making a speech in the parliament. – If this is not true, so let us say it aloud. If the crime really was committed, of what I am sure, so let us act according to the law. As a matter of fact, a real information war has started in Ukraine, in which Leonid Kuchma’s closest surrounding is engaged.” Once, the parliament already took a decision about the investigation. At that time, on the site Ukraina Kriminalnaya an article was published called “From the Derkaches’ Life”. There, the question was about criminal activities of Leonid and Andrei Derkach and of Israeli citizen and at the same time Ukrainian oligarch, Vadim Rabinovich (apropos, he is intending to be co-promoter of Russian NTV channel and starting his pilot project NTV-Ukraine since the new year). According to the article, the Derkaches, father and son, with Vadim Rabinovich’s help and using their posts, tried to capture Ukrainian tank sale to the Middle East, to Iran. As a result of these activities, Ukraine lost orders for hundreds of millions, because the clients who preferred to have to do with the state but with the dubious firm refused from several big bargains. The deputies demanded to investigate all the circumstances of the publication, that could be a state secret. The Public Prosecutor General’s Office refused to bring an action against the president’s beloved ones, as if not possessing enough reasons. At the same time, an action was brought against journalist Oleg Yeltsov accused of divulging the state secret. Recently, Ukrainian Security Service again carried out a search in the flat of the internet edition’s possessor and seized a new party of digital supports. Though suddenly, Yevgeni Marchuk, secretary of Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council, was added to the accused persons: as if he had supplied the journalist with the documents against the Derkaches. Now, Kievski Telegraf newspaper belonging to Derkach junior publicly accused Yevgeni Marchuk of implication in the case of illegal arm sale to the Balkans in 1992-1994, that is now being investigated by Italian services. Moreover, Russian State Duma’s deputy Viktor Ilyukhin said last week, that some Ukrainian businessmen supplied arms to Afghanistan and Chechnya and Yevgeni Marchuk was implicated in this. Yevgeni Marchuk, who is ex-KGB general, while appearing in ICTV channel belonging to the president’s civil son-in-law Viktor Pinchuk, refuted his implication in the illegal arm sale and told some interesting details from business practice of Derkach junior. Therefore, the Supreme Rada and the Public Prosecutor General’s Office turned out to be drawn into the scandal. Some observers already foretell Yevgeni Marchuk’s resignations. Let us see.

Alexandr Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/21/35054.html