The court`s decision to transfer to the state budget of Ukraine $1.5 billion, arrested in the accounts of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his entourage, came into force today, April 28, the press service of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine reported with reference to the joint statement by NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov and Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko.
The management of the state-owned Oschadbank has started to execute the court decision and, together with the State Treasury, is drawing up these funds to state accounts, according to Turchynov.
The issue of asset recovery has dragged within the parliament for some year and a half when a bill on special confiscation was submitted but the Verkhovna Rada refused to support it, Turchynov said.
”Considering that the Verkhovna Rada has not been able to make this decision, I want to thank the Prosecutor General`s Office, personally the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko, that they dealt with the case professionally, without unnecessary PR, and were able to not just get a decision on preliminary confiscation, but a court verdict, the final decision on transferring these funds to the accounts of the State Treasury – to the state budget of Ukraine,” Turchynov said.
The NSDC Secretary has called this decision of the court a principled one, because ”these funds provide for financing of the State Defense Order, the security and defense sector.”
”In addition, I am convinced that in addition to security and defense, a significant part of the funds can be used to finance serious social programs, social protection of our citizens,” Turchynov said.
”The NSDC Secretary and the Prosecutor General reported to the president about the confiscation of money stolen by the Yanukovych regime,” presidential press secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko said.
As reported earlier, on January 28, 2015, the State Financial Monitoring Service blocked $1.42 billion in accounts of non-resident companies related to Viktor Yanukovych, his relatives, officials of the former government and related persons.
