7 February 17, 2002

INSIDE:• The case of Pavlo Lazarenko: a study in corruption — page 2. • U.S. ambassador to Ukraine sets the record straight — page 3. • More Olympic coverage from Salt Lake City — centerfold. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXX HE No.KRAINIAN 7 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2002 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine T U Procurator General’sW Office charges In Olympic debut, hockey team Lazarenko with ordering assassinations is highlightby Andrew Nynka of Ukraine’splay the Russian Federation effort in the next by Roman Woronowycz members of the group, but those directly round. Kyiv Press Bureau responsible for carrying out the orders, the PROVO, Utah – Since its 70-plus ath- Belarus’ Shabanov won the tense duel killers of Vadym Hetman and Yevhen letes entered the Olympic stadium in Salt with Ukrainian goalie Simchuk, a veteran KYIV – The Procurator General’s Office Scherban, those who pulled the trigger,” Lake City to participate in Ukraine’s of four North American minor leagues. of Ukraine announced on February 7 that it said Mr. Obikhod. third Winter Games as an independent Shabanov made several outstanding had solved two high-profile murders of Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies, state, its best results thus far have been in saves in the third period as both teams’ Ukrainian political figures and officially including the Procurator General’s Office, the sport in which Ukraine this year offenses emerged from two dull periods charged ex-Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko had been hounded by the press and con- made its Olympic debut: ice hockey. for an outstanding series of scoring with ordering the assassinations. founded by its inability to solve any of the With two wins and one loss in Group chances in the third, while Simchuk kept Within hours after the charges were several high-profile killings of political fig- B of the hockey competition’s prelimi- the Ukrainian side in the game with sev- announced, the Verkhovna Rada voted ures and journalists that have occurred in nary round, Ukraine’s record was equal eral acrobatic stops in the first. unanimously to withdraw Mr. Lazarenko’s Ukraine in the last few years, of which the to that of the Belarusian team that The Belarusians came out strong in the mandate as a national deputy to the murders of Mr. Scherban and Mr. Hetman emerged atop the group that also includ- first period as the Ukrainians seemed flat Parliament, which canceled his immunity were among the most prominent. ed Switzerland and France. and on their heels in front of the crowd of from criminal prosecution. Mr. Obikhod explained that the break in In the end, the deciding match-up was 6,306. However, Ukraine may have been Deputy Procurator General Mykola both cases came while the country’s chief Team Ukraine’s first game, played taking a decidedly more defensive Obikhod told journalists that Mr. law enforcement agency was investigating against Belarus on February 9. Ukraine approach, admitted head coach Anatolii Lazarenko, who currently awaits trial in the the activities of a criminal gang led by lost to Belarus 1-0. Bohdanov, pointing to several interna- United States on money laundering charges, Yevhen Kushnir, a now deceased Donetsk In that game goalie Sergei Shabanov tional competitions between the two had paid a gang of professional killers to resident who had taken Israeli citizenship. of Belarus stopped 17 shots, and Oleg teams in which Ukraine had tried to murder National Deputy Yevhen Scherban The Procurator General’s Office determined Mikulchik scored during a two-man outscore the Belarusian side but was of Donetsk in 1996 and National Deputy that Mr. Lazarenko had paid $2 million advantage with 12:11 left to play in the severely outplayed. Vadym Hetman, former chairman of the “from personal accounts under his control” third period. Ukraine’s netminder This time, however, Ukraine’s players National Bank of Ukraine, in 1998. Kostiantyn Simchuk stopped 29 of 30 took several bad penalties, putting them- “We have arrested not only various (Continued on page 12) shots on goal. The result – a one-goal dif- selves in two five-on-three situations that ference – turned out to be the key factor ultimately cost them not only the game in Belarus’ advancement to the next against Belarus, but also their shot at round and Ukraine’s relegation to play play in the next tier of competition. for ninth place against Latvia. Mikulchik, who played 37 NHL U.S. expert: Melnychenko tapes not altered by Yaro Bihun Mr. Zhyr said that the tape analysis Ukraine won its next two games games for Winnipeg and Anaheim from Special to The Ukrainian Weekly was made by Bruce Koenig, the Federal against Switzerland and France to tie 1993 to 1996, broke the scoreless tie dur- Belarus with four points at the conclu- Bureau of Investigation’s top audio ing the only effective power play offered WASHINGTON – The head of a spe- sion of Group B preliminary round com- expert, now retired and working for a pri- by either team. Sergei Stas made a pass cial Ukrainian parliamentary commission petition, which is played in a round vate company, BEK TEK. Mr. Koenig is from behind the goal line to Mikulchik, reported that an analysis by a leading robin. Belarus won its game against known widely for his work in a number who fired a wrist shot over Simchuk’s American audio expert of the tape France (3-1), but lost to Switzerland (2- of high-profile cases involving audio glove into the top corner of the net. recordings that appear to implicate 1). Thus, Belarus’ victory over Ukraine recordings, including the Linda Tripp President Leonid Kuchma in the killing allowed the Belarusians to move on to (Continued on page 13) telephone recordings of Monica of journalist Heorhii Gongadze confirm Lewinsky, which played a key role in the that they have not been edited or other- impeachment of President Bill Clinton. wise altered. Appearing with Mr. Zhyr in the radio Oleksandr Zhyr, who heads a news conference was the former presi- Verkhovna Rada panel looking into the dential guard who secretly taped the killing, made the announcement here on president, Mykola Melnychenko, and the February 7, during a live, hourlong news slain journalist’s widow, Myroslava conference program on the Ukrainian service of Radio Liberty. (Continued on page 11) Kuchma suspends Kyiv state administration chief by Roman Woronowycz who has gathered a disproportionate Kyiv Press Bureau amount of authority in the last several years, called the action an act of reprisal KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma by his political enemies, whom he identi- suspended the duties of Kyiv Mayor fied as “oligarchic forces.” Oleksander Omelchenko as the head of “They have lately raised a clamor in the Kyiv state administration on February the mass media spearheaded against the 11 after the municipal head refused to legal authority of the capital city of temporarily step aside while he cam- Ukraine, including the bugging of phone paigns for a seat in Parliament. discussions,” said Mr. Omelchenko, who The presidential decree sharpened the chairs the Yednist Party. focus on whether government officials The latter reference was to a highly could retain their positions or must take publicized incident last month regarding leaves of absence during the seven-week an illegally taped phone conversation in period of campaigning in the run up to Andrew Nynka which Mr. Omelchenko and Viktor the March 31 parliamentary election, Yuschenko, the head of the Our Ukraine Ukraine’s Ruslan Fedotenko scores in the February 11 game against which began on February 9. Switzerland, which Ukraine won 5-2. The hugely popular mayor of Kyiv, (Continued on page 11) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2002 No. 7 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS The case of Pavlo Lazarenko: Lytvyn dismisses U.S. exam of tapes (RFE/RL Newsline) KYIV – “It is a subsequent slip of Kuchma: Ukraine must join EU by 2011 a study of high-level corruption paper that does not mean anything for by Roman Kupchinsky According to information from Hryhorii Ukraine or the Ukrainian judiciary sys- KYIV – Ukrainian President Leonid RFE/RL Crime, Corruption and Terrorism Watch Omelchenko, the head of the Ukrainian tem,” Volodymyr Lytvyn, chief of the Kuchma told a government meeting on Parliament’s Anti-Corruption Committee, presidential administration, said on ICTV February 8 that Ukraine must join the PART I these metals were then purchased from Van Television on February 11, referring to a European Union by 2011, Interfax Der Ploeg & Terpstra by fugitive American recent U.S. expert conclusion that former reported. Mr. Kuchma noted that to qual- The case of Pavlo Ivanovych Lazarenko, ify for EU membership Ukraine should once one of the most powerful men in financier Marc Rich, Concord Trade presidential bodyguard Mykola Limited and Cargill. These initial dealings Melnychenko’s secret recordings are secure annual economic growth of Ukraine and now an inmate at a federal between 5 and 7 percent, join the World detention facility in California, is a classic took place when Mr. Kuchma was the genuine. Mr. Lytvyn added that the pub- Trade Organization by the end of 2003, study of high-level corruption in Ukraine. It Ukrainian prime minister. In 1993 Mr. licized conclusion is a campaign move and create a free-trade zone with Central involves not only Mr. Lazarenko, but a long Kuchma gave the Naukovyi farm 110 head by “those politicians who may be seen as and Eastern European countries by 2004, list of players beginning with the Ukrainian of cattle free of charge in order to promote outsiders in the election race.” He did not Reuters reported.

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