Alexander Gorobets: American government charged former Ukrainian premier of money laundering

The federal judge in San Francisco dismissed the suit about the withdrawal of the case against Ukraine’s former premier, Pavel Lazarenko, who was charged of the money laundering, AP informed. Pursuant to the charges, which were announced in July, Lazarenko was accused of laundering millions of dollars on the USA’s territory – the money that Lazarenko had blackmailed from the Ukrainian enterprises.

Federal judge Martin Jenkins claimed, the American government was pleading the case against Mr.Lazarenko not for the possible crimes, he had committed in Ukraine, but for the fact that the property, which was received illegally, was sent to the USA. Lazarenko’s defense explains the necessity to withdraw the charges, saying there was no bribery issue included in the accusations pertaining to the money laundering before President Bush’s latest order, which was passed after September 11.

AP wrote that the new American legislation was directed against the money laundering – the money, which was received as a result of the drug commerce, blackmail and bribery. The judge did not change his mind after that and Lazarenko will have to go on trial tomorrow.

The American government charged Lazarenko of transfering about $200 million, the origin of which he was trying to conceal, BBC said.

Alexander Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

On the photo: Pavel Lazarenko

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/11/34741.html