Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko claims searches at Odesa regional administration`s building on Thursday have nothing to do with politics and were conducted as part of an investigation into illegal operations of value-added tax refunds by officials of Georgia`s Consulate General in 2012-2013, according to the press service of the Prosecutor General`s Office (PGO).
”There was no political component in the above-mentioned investigation in Odesa,” the PGO said, quoting Lutsenko as saying.
The investigation was initiated to follow up enquiries by Members of Parliament into operations of some charity funds, in particular, Odesa-based Na Blago Odesy fund, he said. This fund appeared on the radar screen of the Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies in connection with VAT refunds worth UAH 20 million received by former Consul General of Georgia in Ukraine Teimuraz Nishnianidze.
”Enough information was retrieved during the searches, it will be used by investigators of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine and the PGO in the said investigation and in cases of misconduct by incumbent officials,” the PGO said.
Lutsenko also said that there was no illegal action during the investigation by law enforcers and prosecutors, and the searches were conducted in line with laws.
The case is investigated by the SBU, while the PGO supervises the investigation. Investigators did not plan to interrogate head of Odesa Regional Administration Mikheil Saakashvili, he said.
Searches at other charity funds in Ukraine will be conducted soon, he added.
Memo. Nishnianidze is a former Consul General of Georgia in Ukraine; he became a freelance consultant to Saakashvili in July 2015.
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