Alexander Gorobets: Italy confirmed connection of top Ukrainian officials with illegal arms sales

According to Italy’s Office of Public Prosecutor, several top Ukrainian officials participated in illegal arms sales and laundered the money obtained in the operation. This was said in the response of the Ukrainian Office of Public Prosecutor to the letter of inquiry of Ukraine’s deputies Grigory Omelchenko and Anatoly Yermak, the heads of Anti-mafia public committee.

The letter was signed by Deputy Public Prosecutor of Ukraine Alexander Atamanyuk. The letter says that Italian Prosecutor Paul Tamponi sent information on international arms sales and probable money laundering in Ukraine to the Ukrainian authorities. Alexander Atamanyuk says that the information can be proved by a pretrial investigation. For this purpose, criminal proceedings have been instituted on the case of illegal arms sales and money laundering on December 18, 2001. PRAVDA.Ru has already reported on it.

In Atamanyuk’s words, additional information on arms traffic mentioned by the Ukrainian deputies will be checked during the investigation.

Alexander Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/01/10/35447.html