President's boys like money..

Below is a summary from the third of series of brief interviews with Taras Chornovil on the 'Ostrov' website. [See my blog of 8th February for summary of the first of the series.]

Chornovil believes the president's elder son Oleksander Yanukovych is a very bright boy who knows how to make money and loves to count money - the methods he employs to do this though, verge on what is legal...but not beyond.

He alleges the business interests of "The Family" of President Yanukovych, in matters that are "beyond legal limits", are 'sorted out' by an old friend of the president from the 'bad old days' - the mysterious Yuriy Ivanyushchenko. a.k.a. Yura Yenakiyivskiy. These matters include major shipping container customs clearance scams. [Note - Complaints about these have been sent to the president by many businessmen, including some from ruling coalition partners. And some commentators allege Yuriy Ivanyushchenko also controls grain export flows on behalf of "The Family", who benefit hugely from the disproportionate granting of tightly limited export quotas. These quotas could cause losses of over $2Bn to country's agricultural sector.]

Although Chornovil claims Rinat Akhmetov is now positioned on the fringes of politics, the more-loosely tied Donetsk group, which also includes Kluyev and Azarov, will become more unified in order to counteract the challenge of the rapid financial growth and advance of "The Family", which may be "measured in billions" over the entire country.

Meanwhile, 'Ukrainska Pravda' exposes some dubious business involving Oleksander Yanukovych's younger brother [and parliamentary deputy], Viktor Viktorovych. Young Viktor has recently been seen driving a high-class Range Rover SUV - one that had been used previously by former president Yushchenko.

It turned out that the vehicle was one from the motor pool of the 'State Administration of Matters' [D.U.S.] - one of whose functions is to provide transport for prominent state officials.

The president's administration and the head of D.U.S. claim young Viktor was renting the vehicle; and the lad himself explained that he had been paying 200 hryven an hour for its use. From August to September he claims he had paid 8,000 hryven, and October to December 14,000 hryven - a small fraction of normal market rate for rental of this type of vehicle. He refused any paperwork backing up his claim to be photographed.

Further investigation by 'Ukrainska Pravda' revealed that throughout its years of existence of the D.U.S. they have never rented vehicles to anyone - this is just not their function. So it looks as if the whole "renting" story is most likely a banal attempt to conceal a misuse of official position.

Interestingly, the story has also been run by the normally pro-PoR 'Segodnya'.

Why can't Oleksandr Yanukovych, who recently bought himself a bank, get his younger brother a fancy motor for his birthday rather than allowing him to burden the state with the cost of this expensive 'boy's toy'?

p.s. the author of the above-mentioned U.P. article, Serhiy Leshchenko, who has written many investigative pieces about all of Ukraine's leaders, is the target of disgusting, thinly veiled death threat, as described today on the international "Reporters without Borders" blogsite. The person who is the source of these threats should not be allowed to enter any country where journalist's work is valued and respected.

British Foreign Secretary concerned about democracy in Ukraine

"Foreign and Commonwealth Office

King Charles Street

London

08 February 2011

Dear Mr......

Thank you for your e-mail of 29 December to the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, concerning Ukraine. I have been asked to reply.

Together with the EU and international partners, we have raised our concerns about the development of democracy in Ukraine directly with the Government of Ukraine. Foremost among our concerns are the conduct of local elections held in October 2010 and the weakening of media freedom. Most recently, we have become concerned with the manner in which the Rule of Law is being applied.

Ukraine has recognized the necessity for judicial reform and President Yanukovych has publicly called for the combating of corruption in Ukrainian institutions. We actively support this. However, we have pointed out that corruption cannot be fought with selective application of the law - a situation which not only has an impact on the political climate but on future economic growth as well. An independent judiciary to ensure equal treatment under the law and advance justice in a predictable and fair way is imperative to further economic growth.

Until recently, the development of Ukraine into the most democratic country in the CIS bolstered Ukraine’s reputation - and that of its leaders - and helped to promote relations with key international partners. Ukraine has a stated aim to achieve full membership of the European Union. We have made clear that this can only be achieved by a truly democratic Ukraine.

Our bilateral relations with Ukraine are based on the principles of democratic and economic freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. We are committed to the strengthening of cooperation between the UK and Ukraine. And we are prepared to support Ukraine as it faces the challenges of protecting and developing these fundamental principles.

Yours Sincerely,

K Dockray

Kristina Dockray

Deputy Head of Section

Ukraine & Belarus Desk Officer

Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova & Neighbourhood Policy Team

Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate"

[Click on image below to enlarge..]

What Yanukovych really craves..

In a most interesting brief interview on the 'Ostrov' website, Taras Chornovil, one of the country's most 'promiscuous politicians, who in his time has been a member of both Yushchenko's and Yanukovch's innermost circles, claims politics in Ukraine is not determined in the Ukrainian parliament, but predominantly in Moscow via one of several shadowy domestic groups influence.

One of the groups mentioned is led by the his long-time buddy, Yuriy Ivanyushchenko. a.k.a. Yura Yenakiyivskiy - But the most significant group, according to Chornovil, is 'The Kremlin Quartet' - Lyovochkin, Firtash, [Boyko], and Khoroshkovsky.

Chornovil claims Koroshkovsky: "is totally dependent on the Kremlin. He receives instructions only from there. I think he is on a taboo - he is forbidden to take instructions and orders from the President of Ukraine, only from the president or prime minister of Russia. And the group that is associated with him: Firtash, is held on a a very serious hook there, Lyovochkin, who was directly imposed on Yanukovych ... It's there that politics in Ukraine are formed. Not in the Ukrainian parliament and even not in Ukraine, but they come directly from Russia. "

However, according to Taras Chornovil, Yanukovych is definitely not a puppet of Moscow - but he is lazy and greedy - easily influenced and manipulated by his close environment. Yanukovych's overriding concern is to amass great wealth and ensure that he can hold onto it in peace and quiet in the future. This is what the groups of influence provide.

Chornovil notes that in Yanukovych's address last week during the opening of the 8th session of the 6th convocation of parliament, most significantly, the president does not mention Russia at all, while the first concrete point raised is reform of legislation by means of which which Ukraine will embark on modernisation of society and formalise association relations with the EU. Chornovil claims this is a warning to the Kremlin Quartet.

TV audience thinks democracy under threat in Ukraine

Following recent 'fuzzy' statements by European and U.S. authorities expressing concern about the possible roll-back of Ukrainian democracy, one of the topics under discussion in Last Friday's "Shuster Live" UT-1 channel show was: "Is there a threat to democracy in Ukraine?"

A supposedly balanced studio audience, comprising a group of students/graduates and a group of employers, were asked this same question. The results [about 70 minutes into this video], were as follows:

Students/graduates, at start of programme 16% No, 84% Yes,

after the discussion 12% No, 88% Yes.

Employers, at start of programme 20% No, 80% Yes,

after discussion 8% No, 92% Yes...

Party of Regions fielded some of their biggest hitters in the debate, but their arguments were clearly not persuasive.

Herman says Yanuk legend in his own lunchtime

For buttock-clenchingly embarassing a**-licking from deputy head of the presidential administration, Hanna Herman, this surely "takes the biscuit"..

"The most valuable thing I have gained, thanks to the years of working with Viktor Yanukovych, is experience. Never, anywhere, in any university in the world would I have received such a great understanding of people and processes than from communicating with that person, politician, and state figure."

According to her, Yanukovych's greatness has not yet been fully recognised and valued properly.

"Very few people really know Yanukovych. The full value of this man has not yet been fully assessed. Even his election as president, a very high position, but even so, is far from a full assessment of this political figure".

"Many years will pass..and some time in the future our great-grandchildren will be told legends about a little orphan boy who had the hardest life you could imagine. Who overcame all difficulties. Was strong. Became good and fair to the people and brought the country to the path of prosperous development", gushed Herman.

"Yanukovych will become a legend for generations to come, because even in the next hundred years it is hardly likely anyone will be able to repeat what he has managed to do in his life. I learned a lot fromYanukovych. And, perhaps most importantly - to encounter life's losses and life's gains, with dignity."

What drivel..

"In Greek myth and tragedy, hubris (or hybris) is the pretension to be godlike, and thereby fail to observe the divine equilibrium among god, man, and nature...In other words, hubris is the capital sin of pride, and thus the antithesis of two ethics that the Greeks valued highly: aidos (humble reverence for law) and sophrosyne (self-restraint, a sense of proper limits).

Words and phrases like the following—overweening pride; self-glorification; arrogance; insolence; overconfidence in one’s ability and right to do whatever one wants, to the point of disdaining the cardinal virtues of life; ignoring other people’s feelings; overstepping boundaries; and impiously defying all who stand in the way—are found in descriptions of people who have hubris.

In Greek literature, hubris often afflicted rulers and conquerors who, though endowed with great leadership abilities, abused their power and authority and challenged the divine balance of nature to gratify their own vanity and ambition. Thus hubris was no common evil: It led people to presume that they were above ordinary laws, if not laws unto themselves—to presume they deserved to exceed the fate and fortune ordained by the gods.

Acts of hubris aroused envy among the gods on Mt. Olympus and angered them to restore justice and equilibrium. Nemesis, the goddess of divine vengeance and retribution, might then descend to destroy the vainglorious pretender, to cut man down to size and restore equilibrium."

From "Beware the "Hubris-Nemesis Complex - A Concept for Leadership Analysis"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yanukovych and spokesmen for ruling authorities claim the spate of arrests of Ukraine's opposition parties leaders, and criminal proceedings directed against them, are strictly non political.

In an interview with the "Washington Post", Yanukovych says:"The country has started a broad campaign against corruption and violation of the law. It is not a selective approach based on political reasons. This campaign affects representatives [regardless of] political party."

The normally urbane and mild-mannered former Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Tarasyuk, challenges this proposition in his blog.

On 16th December last year, parliamentary opposition deputies who were blocking the dais were physically assaulted and driven out of parliament in a planned, premeditated attack by an organised mob of Party of Regions deputies [video here]

Tarasyuk and 25 MPs from the opposition wrote to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine demanding a criminal investigation on the circumstances surrounding these events during which several opposition deputies received nasty injuries. In his blog he publishes the reply from the Kyiv P.G.'s office.

It says that Tarasyuk's demands has been combined with materials of a criminal case opened on account of "illegal influence on the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine which prevented them from executing their duties, committed by individuals using their official position", in other words, it is the opposition deputies who could possibly be charged with committing a criminal act, [subject to the removal of their parliamentary immunity], not their violent assailants..

Blocking the Verkhovna Rada has taken place many times over the years. Tarasyuk estimates that during the first six sessions of 6th convocation, when the Party of Regions, were in opposition, the working of Parliamentary pleniary sessions was blocked completely for at least 54 full days, but no criminal charges were ever raised, nor were brute force tactics ever used to unblock Parliament.

At 7 p.m. on 16th December 2010 when the attack on the opposition deputies occurred, parliament was not it session and most deputies had already gone home.

Tarasyuk recalls that at the end of December 2006 year and the beginning of 2007, when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, a group of deputies from Party of Regions physically prevented him from attending meetings of the cabinet in the cabinet office. This criminal act has not been investigated by the Prosecutor General to this day.

"I have no doubt that the criminal assault on deputies also will not receive proper legal evaluation by law enforcement agencies. On the contrary, most likely, this criminal case will be used as one lever [to apply] pressure on the opposition, and the use of chairs as an argument in political debate will become normal practice by parliamentary majority parties.

Unfortunately, this is yet another vivid piece of evidence of the path taken by the current government to build an authoritarian state regime, where the law enforcement system plays a repressive role when dealing with dissenters, to protect those in power," says Tarasyuk.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"They lie without conscience, twist the facts, hire people in Europe, the USA and inside the country, with stolen money..and disorientate the whole world and Ukrainian society." says president Yanukovych.

But it may just as well have been Yulia Tymoshenko talking about Yanukovych and his mob..

Shabby circus in Kyiv

Last Tuesday, 310 parliamentary deputies voted in support of amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution enabling the next parliamentary elections to take place in Autumn 2012, [after the Euro 2012 football tournament], and the next presidential election to take place in Spring 2015.

There are a total of 450 seats in parliament; 301 or more votes, i.e. 2/3 or more are needed

to be cast by deputies in order to make changes to the constitution.

However, it was clear to everyone that fewer than 300 deputies of those who supported the motion were actually physically present during voting. As usual, unconstitutional, illegal absentee voting took place.

Bearing in mind the current wave of criminal persecution of opposition leaders, it is not unreasonable to assume that some opposition deputies were blackmailed or coerced into voting with the ruling parties, or simply bought off, in the traditional manner.

One opposition deputy, Volodymyr Aryev, who apparently had "voted" in support of the motion, has protested because he was on board aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean at the time..In response, the Party of Regions parliamentary leader, Oleksandr Yefremov, has told him not to turn the occurrence "into a circus".

His words are apt. The Verkhovna Rada has been a circus for years - and the deputies of all colours who flout procedural rules with such disdain are clowns who use the Constitution as toilet paper...but we knew this all along.

p.s. It sometimes appears that some of the male deputies buy their clothes at the circus outfitters.... and female deputies buy their cosmetics at the circus make-up shop...do you really want to be around when they take their clothes off in the Summer..apart from maybe one or two..?

And another thing - the Ukrainian Football Federation is already run by the circus brothers... ;-)

Finally, we all know what can happen in Ukrainian circuses...

Ukrainian police out of control..

"During 2010 and the beginning of 2011, more than 50 people have died in police stations [in Ukraine]..setting a bleak record...

Details and more, in English, here..

"..woman fell from the third floor [of a police station]. She had spent more than five hours in the investigator’s office, confessed to stealing a sack of potatoes.. then asked to go to the toilet and jumped from the third floor window..."

p.s. Former minister of internal affairs, Yuriy Lutsenko, who is currently being held in custody for 'failing to familiarise himself' with the case against him, has requested the investigator in his case be replaced. Lutsenko claims he had been kept handcuffed for seven hours several days ago. His attorney had been prevented from attending.

The former minister is being investigated for overpaying his driver whilst he was minister, for illegally continuing surveillance of Volodymyr Satyuk - a suspect in the Yushchenko poisoning, and for cost overruns during the Police Day celebration in 2009.

With shocking crimes like that being held against him, and in the hands of Ukrainian police, Lutsenko should consider himself lucky not to have his finger nails pulled out with pliers or be thrown out of a fourth storey window..

Yanukovych already decided who is guilty

From an interview with president Yanukovych in Davos:

Washington Post - But the U.S. government said that, with few exceptions, the only senior officials being targeted [with corruption charges..LEvko] have connections with the previous government. Do you plan to put Yulia Tymoshenko on trial?

Yanukovych - It is a controversial issue. With regards to the opinion of the U.S. government, it is an issue to be discussed. We believe that position is not really based on facts. I am sure that if everybody just tried to use the facts and the information that has already been provided by the prosecutor general's office - the information shows that we are in the midst of a major fight against corruption. Those people that you have referred to have really violated Ukrainian laws. As an example, the member of my party, Mr. [Anatoliy] Hrytsenko, he made those illegal actions back in 2007. So this is also a past deed. Only in 2010, quite a large number of people have been brought to criminal responsibility for acts of corruption. Many of them are either members of my own party or are members of other parties that are members of the governing coalition. This very fact proves that it is not a one-way road in terms of criminal persecution.

No trials of any major opposition figures, or others who are currently being detained or investigated, have yet taken place.

Yanukovych's performances in Davos last week did not impress the WSJ either..

First smart deal by President Yanukovych

"Ukraine's president clinched energy pacts with Azerbaijan on Friday and attacked Russia for plans to bypass his country in supplying gas to Europe, reviving market fears of regular spats between Moscow and Kiev...

more from Reuters...here

'Vanka' will not be pleased..

Ukrainian football covered in same sh*t as rest of country's big business

A couple of days ago, Reuters reported:

"FIFA has warned Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine it risks suspension if the country's soccer federation (FFU) replaces its current management, according to a letter from world soccer's governing body made public on Tuesday.

In December, several FFU members tried unsuccessfully to sack FFU president Hrigory Surkis who has been accused by some fans of favouring Dynamo Kiev, a team run by his brother Ihor Surkis.

Surkis' opponents have said they would continue to seek his dismissal.

FIFA said it had evidence of "interference by state authorities" in the case and warned the FFU against sacking Surkis before his term expires in 2012.

"In this regard, we have received clear evidence that some of these members made the decision... after strong pressure was exerted on their delegates by government representatives and other persons and bodies external to the FFU," FIFA said in a letter published on the FFU web site www.ffu.org.ua.

FIFA said it would not recognise any new management.

"FIFA requests that the FFU maintain its current executive committee until the end of its legitimate mandate in 2012. FIFA will not recognise any other leadership which emerges from a process marred by interference," it said.

According to FIFA rules, any third party interference in the activities of a national soccer federation could lead to the suspension of its membership.

"Among other things, it (suspension) would mean that no Ukrainian team of any sort (including clubs) could have any sporting contact with a FIFA member," FIFA warned."

In other words, the Ukrainian national team could find itself banned from the Euro 2012 football tournament that the country it is itself hosting...

The dreadful, diabolical mess in which the Ukrainian football league finds itself right now is well described in this blog and links therein.

Former president Leonid Kravchuk has issued an emotional public appeal to Yanukovych to intervene and halt the hugely disruptive actions of "the troublemakers who are thoughtlessly playing with fire while sitting on a powder keg.."

The richest men in the country, those who control its government, big business, and mass media, in an attempt to control the huge expected Euro 2012 cash flows and benefits, are behaving like horrible children in a sand-pit - throwing dog sh*t at one another...

p.s. Tetyana Nikolayenko and Serhiy Leshchenko, in two fine recent investigative articles in 'Ukrainska Pravda' here and here reveal how Boris Kolesnikov, the deputy prime minister in charge of the Euro 2012 football tournament, is allegedly 'cashing in' on the tournament by means of 'layering' schemes involving off-shore construction companies in Belize and elsewhere, to which he may be connected.

These companies are building new stadiums and infrastructure for Euro 2012 - without any tendering process having taken place. To compound Kolesnikov's complicity, the authors allege that once the scams were about to be exposed, official sale and transfer documents were 'post-dated' or 'lost', and official registers 'doctored', in an attempt to retroactively cover tracks. However, even this was clumsily bungled..

OP reveals dissatisfaction with el Presidente..

Nearly a year after presidential elections, 'Deutsche Welle' carried out an extensive opinion poll asking respondents to assess Yanukovych's, and PM Azarov's performance.

According to those questioned, the most significant problems facing the country were Ukraine's economic problems - 79 percent, corruption -55 percent, and wilfulness of officials and law enforcement officials - 34 percent.

Only 10 percent of those polled rated Yanukovych's success rate in solving any of these problems as "generally good." Azarov fared even worse...

President Yanukovych's scored best on improving tense relations with other countries - 37 percent "generally good", and the fight against terrorism - 38 percent "generally good".

However, around 40-50% of those asked recorded a "difficult to answer" response to most questions...

Thursday update: Big- selling 'Segodnya' run this story today entitled: "Ukrainians dissatisfied with [do not like] Yanukovich's and Azarov's attempts to to tackle corruption"...

Mykola Herman fatal car crash airbrushed away [almost]

For mysterious reasons, the web page from the link I provided in my posting yesterday, to the story about Hanna Herman's son, Mykola's, involvement in a car crash, has been changed. The fresh web page mentions no names, but still claims TV channels have been prevented from reporting details of this story..

Funny thing is though, the link URL is still: http://ua.vvnews.info/analytics/politics/65303-telekanalam-zaboronili-govoriti-pro-mazhora-mikolu-germana-kotriy-ubiv-troh-cholovk.html

i.e. "...television channels have been banned from speaking about 'big-shot' mikola german who killed three persons.html..

Update. Hanna Herman has called this story 'black PR'. "In the first place my son does not have a 'Lexus', in the second place he was in Israel at the time - this can be confirmed by his passport..."she says.

Trouble is there have been so many attempted 'cover-ups' in the past, e.g. after a vehicle in president's convoy killed a taxi-driver, after denials of assault of ByuT deputies...etc. etc...no-one knows what to believe..Stamps in passports can be back-dated...

But who really was driving the Lexus, if not Herman's son? Who was its registered owner? Is Herman becoming a liability - the story rather than the messenger?

"In wartime truth is so precious that she should be attended by a bodyguard of lies." Winston Churchill

Arbuzov not yet ready to answer questions - and Herman's son in trouble..again

After a few week's delay, the newly-appointed head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Serhiy Arbuzov [see photo] had agreed to hold a press briefing next Monday.

Indignant journalists were told that they could only ask one question each - to be emailed in advance, for vetting.

The journalists' union have called this "unacceptable, and a dangerous precedent.. a shameful totalitarian practice, which has nothing in common with freedom of speech..to which other organs of the state could descend."

Now, next Monday's press briefing has now been postponed indefinitely. Strange...he should have counted all of the money by now..one for you..one for me..one for you..one for me..

This is not the first time block-head Arbuzov has 'chickened out'.

One of these days he will have to face the 'grown-ups', piggy bank under his arm, without anyone holding his hand..

But for now, as my dad used to say, in Polish - "Ni z glovy movy, ni z dupy perdu"...not a word from the mouth..not a fart from the arse..or something like that..

p.s. There are reports that deputy head of the president's administration, Hanna Herman's son Mykola was involved in a car smash in which three persons were killed. [See Thursday update below..] Television channels have allegedly been banned from reporting the incident. I have recently blogged about young Mykola, who was only slightly injured in this latest "accident". He had recently been, for a time, deputy minister of Emergency Situations, promoted in a giant leap from "being his mum's driver".

Mykola's younger brother, Roman, was killed in a car smash last June. Reportedly. he was drunk and travelling at 220 km per hour when the incident occurred.

Such events take place with such predictable regularity that hardly anyone raises an eyebrow any more. Last October the 25 year-old son of a Dnipropetrovsk prosecutor killed three women aged betwen 43 and 62 on a pedestrian crossing, in a 'hit and run' "accident" whilst driving his Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. According to police reports, the victims' bodies lay 100 metres from one another. There was a concerted attempt to 'hush up' the incident but local anger was so great that eventually the driver of the vehicle was arrested.

Now this from an article in yesterday's "Gazeta po Kievski", entitled: "Son of prosecutor who killed three women pays off families"

"To put it delicately...they, (the relatives of those killed in the accident) have solved many of their financial problems, and now the degree of their rightful anger and indignation has been reduced. Therefore, they are no longer strongly interested in the speedly direction of a criminal case into court. I'll say nothing else - you understand me, yes?, said Mr. Pavlov, a prosecutor examining the case. The lawyer representing victims' families insisted, "We should not distress them yet again."

Looks like justice has been "well served", as usual...

There's a deadly, cold chill hanging over these people...

Today, Thursday, a Porsche Cayenne belonging to the son of VR deputy Oleksandr Feldman was involved in a head-on crash in which 5 people were killed. The Porsche was allegedly travelling at 200 km.p.h.

And an Update on the death of the 3 women pedestrians mentioned above, and how pay-offs to victims eliminate the need for messy police investigations and senseless court cases....Much better to pay a few dollars, sweep it under the carpet...won't bring back the dead anyway...right? Forgive and forget..best for everyone..no-one saw anything anyway...there was no film in the CCTV....

Thursday Update - For curious reasons, the web page from the link above, to the story about Hanna Herman's son, Mykola's, involvement in a car crash, has been changed. The fresh web page mentions no names, but still claims TV channels have been prevented from reporting details of this story..

the funny thing is though, the link is still entitled http://ua.vvnews.info/analytics/politics/65303-telekanalam-zaboronili-govoriti-pro-mazhora-mikolu-germana-kotriy-ubiv-troh-cholovk.html

"...television channel have been banned from speaking about 'big-shot' mikola german who killed three persons.html..

Cozy at the top for Arbuzov

The recently-appointed 34 year old head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Serhiy Arbuzov, has refused to provide any details of the company which paid him an officially declared, eye-watering 150 million hryvnya [$18 million] in dividends and royalties in 2009.

Quite extraordinary for a civil servant in such a top job..

Arbuzov is 'close' to president Yanukovych's son Oleksandr and banker to the Yanukovych clan. The clan in recent years, has become a significant financial player, independent of other Party of Regions' oligarchs and financial-industrial groups.

In 2008 he was head of UkrBiznesBank..which looked after the money of many of the obscure companies and foundations behind president Yanukovych's infamous 'Mezhyhirya' palace.

Last month Prosecutor-General, Viktor Pshonka, also an old family friend of the Yanukovych's, claimed he would investigate the reason why, most unusually, Arbuzov does not have a personal identification code number, normally allocated to all Ukrainians at the age of 14, enabling him to carry out uncontrolled personal transactions at banks. This privilege was granted by a Donetsk court, apparently, 'for religious reasons'.

Pshonka has not yet provided an explanation... Yanukovych Sr. is his son's - VR deputy Artyem's, godfather. Last December Pshonka's brother Mykola was appointed deputy head of the High Court for Civil and Criminal Cases .

Ukraine is ever-more closely resembling one of the 'dodgy' Central Asian republics..

"Reporters without Borders" report harassment of Ukrainian blogger

Check out this "Reporters without Borders" story, about police raiding the Kyiv home of young journalist and blogger Olena Bilozerska.

Support Olena by visiting her interesting blog - every hit helps...

PoR 'get knickers in a twist' over Danylyshyn

The granting of political asylum by the Czech Republic to Yulia Tymoshenko's former Economic Minister Bohdan Danylyshyn yesterday has been a blow to the image of the country's current administration, and will hinder progress along the road to European integration.

It has also caused quite a stir amongst Party of Regions.

The Press Service of the Party of Regions has posted a statement on their website in mangled English and loaded with old-style Soviet Khruschevite rhetoric, entitled:

"Authorities lead large-scale fight against corruption. Opposition is against.

Here's a small portion [don't laugh..]

"Fighting corruption is without regard to party affiliation of the corruptionist, thief or bribetaker. Among the citizens, who are prodecuted [?], there are many persons, who yesterday represented the government, and now call themselves the opposition. Other fugitive officials who have never engaged in political activity, try to present themselves as political refugees, which is puzzling. In this regard, spread rumors that the country is supposed to start political persecution of the opposition.

Party of Regions is firmly convinced that all attempts of former or current officials to prevent systemic fight against corruption will fail. Solidarity of ex-officials, who get used to live by the principles "one hand washes another" or "crows do not pick crow's eyes", can not prevent restoring order and restoration of legality in the country. We will make officials to take care of the taxpayers' money. Each embezzled government representative will be responsible by the fullest extent of the Law. Thieves and embezzlers will not be saved by any status, mandates, membership cards, high office or favor of some foreign countries.

Corrupt officials who are now in the ranks of the so-called opposition will not evade responsibility, covering themselves with a loud status [?] of political repression."

[My italics..LEvko]

Also, one of their most prominent deputies, Vadym Kolesnichenko, warned, while suffering a bad attack of mixed metaphors at a press briefing: "If..Mr Danylyshyn is given political asylum, it means that the corrupt chain of actions of the Tymoshenko government has spread its arms even into Europe..."

In 2013 Ukraine is supposed to chair the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - its primary aim is: "to create a common democratic and legal area throughout the whole of the continent, ensuring respect for its fundamental values: human rights, democracy and the rule of law."

Seriously though, eminent political commentor Vitaliy Portnikov warns Yanukovych could find himself in the same bind as Belarus president Aleksander Lukashenko. Recently Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that the position of his own country with respect to recent presidential elections in Belarus was concurrent with the position of the Council of Europe [who roundly condemned Lukashenko].

"If [by getting into the European's 'bad books.. Levko] Yanukovych is denied the possibility of a European maneouvre in the same manner as his Belarus colleague, he will be forced to accept any Russian 'generosity' solely on the Kremlin's own terms."

In other words, if the Ruskies get nasty, there will be nowhere to run...

p.s. If PoR want to be taken seriously, they should hire a decent proof reader - surely they can do better than just rely on GoogleTranslate...and have a word with Davis Manafort Inc., their US public relations consultants, who took so much of their wonga..

Herman puts her foot in it again..

So deputy head of the president's administration, Hanna Herman, says:

"..irrespective whether someone is trying to hinder Viktor Yanukovych - whether someone wants the world to look upon Ukraine as is does upon Belarus, we have a duty to work for Ukraine."

Clearly, she is upset that Ukraine is being tarred by the same brush as its northern neighbour.

No surprise, therefore, that her boss Yanukovych, who was one of the very few world leaders to warmly congratulate his Belarus counterpart, 'comb-over Alex', Lukashenko, on his 'victory' in recent presidential elections, did so surreptitiously, without informing the Ukrainian nation. It seems Yanukovych may be an admirer of Lukashenko's after all...

Most West European countries consider Lukashenko's 'victory' to be highly suspect - they condemn the post-election beatings and maltreatment of Belarus' opposition leaders.

p.s. the Italian 'Il Legno Sorto' consider Tymoshenko has been 'stitched up' by the current Ukrainian authorities, and that the Japanese are satisfied that the Kyoto protocol money is all properly accounted for...but unfortunately the links they provide all lead to Yulia T's own website...still, nice photo...

p.p.s. European Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule is in Ukraine "To Study Situation Involving Arrests Of Former Government Officials"

BYuT want him to ban PM Azarov and his cabinet ministers from entering EU countries, except on official visits, so that they are: "immediately disconnected from their Swiss bank accounts, or from [their joint-venture..LEvko] businesses situated in Austria and other countries. For them this would simply be the end." ....Nasty..

Ukraine tarred with same brush as Belarus..

From the influential 'Frankfurter Rundschau' - analytic article entitled 'Putinism in Kyiv'

[Here's the conclusion ..via Google-translate]

The EU must not be lulled by Yanukovich's Europe-friendly rhetoric, it must make pressure. For liberalization of visa regulations such as Brussels should make a return to the reform process to the condition. Freedom to travel against press freedom. The EU summit in May, will go where it focuses on the Eastern Partnership, could be a good time for it. It also provides the Member States an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations with Ukraine in order to create further incentives for reform.

Later this month, EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss possible sanctions against Belarus's Lukashenko in power. It is right to show the dictator the red card. The EU should also not only lose sight of the fact that Kiev just turned into a second Minsk.

The whole article is worth reading.. If the Yanukovych-led administration continues on its current path, Ukraine and Belarus.. will ever-more frequently be tagged together as 'problem countries'..

Also this interview in the same newspaper by Ukrainian writer, Yuriy Andrukhovych. Below is an excerpt, again, Google-translated..]

Ukraine is for many in Western Europe, a terra incognita. Where you locate your country?

Politically, Ukraine is today no European country. We're back somewhere inEurasia . The prospects are poor. The leaders repeat the mantra of European integration, but in reality they do something completely different.The EU wants Ukraine to not break the bridges. But they should use the rhetoric of the ruling group to exert pressure. Actually, the EU would have with Ukraine is the approach as with Belarus.

Yanukovich is the one you conjured up in 2003 Ukrainian Putin, Ukraine will "stabilize" the Russian model?

Putin is smart, smart, athletic, sexy. Yanukovych is a parody of Putin. But he wants the ideas of the vertical power of the so-called sovereign democracy and copy. Freedom of speech exists in Russia only on the web. The judiciary is completely brought into line already.

What has changed since the takeover of the "Blue" in early 2010?

Sometimes I feel like I was in another country. Maybe I'm paranoid, but my city of Ivano-Frankivsk I feel sad and dirtier than a year ago. I am a witness of disintegration. The government is increasingly cynical and corrupt. The pressure, in conjunction with the local elections, local election commission was exerted on, was massive. I fear that Ukraine is on its way to becoming a "failed state" to be who can not fulfill its functions.

Were you surprised by the speed of restoration?

Yes, I am with a regime à la Kuchma (controversial President of Ukraine from 1994 to 2005, note) had expected. But it was worse. Yanukovych and his supporters have no connection to Ukraine. The country is only a tool for them to get even richer and more powerful. I was also surprised the massive attacks on the Ukrainian culture, language and identity. The pressure on local authorities is enormous, which means brutal.

But Yanukovych is, after all democratically elected president.

Really dangerous is it when characters who have come to power democratically undermine, democracy. You want to secure their power forever by allowing free elections in the future no more. A political analyst said it: in the past were thieves and rogues in power, now it's killer. The only hope is that the rulers of the Western perspective is important. They have bank accounts in the West and do holiday in Sardinia. Since the pressure would start.

Could a radical step, its about the connection of the eastern Ukraine to Russia, a solution to the current division of the country?

I have a few months in this direction expressed before and I was massively attacked. But such is the reality: Without the Donbass and Crimea regions had 38 percent of the vote and Yanukovych Tymoshenko percent received 55th But the territorial integrity of Ukraine is a sacred cow. My critics say I am for an independent Wales, for any Kuk-protected areas. This is absurd.Galicia itself makes no sense. It belongs to the large Ukraine. But the great Ukraine today is too large...

Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?

Former Minister of the Internal Affairs and 'Narodna Samooborona' opposition party leader in court today. His appeal to be released on bail was denied..

Is he accused of mass murder... of terrorism? Of being a crime empire capo? International criminal mastermind..?

No...he allegedly overpaid his driver $5,000....

He may as well be charged for being a hit man for the TellyTubbies...

More photos of the crass 'overkill' here

What are the authorities afraid of - their own shadows?

c.f. this video of "Rostov Ripper" Andriy Chykatylo's appearances in court in the early '90's - the cage in which he is detained is barely guarded despite the presence of many family members of his victims...

He was sentenced to death for brutally murdering 53 women and children.

Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?

Ever-quickening steps backward

Dmytro Salamatin, one of the most violent of the PoR deputies involved in the premeditated, vicious assault on a handful of BYuT deputies who were staging an after-hours parliamentary sit-in on the night of 16th December last year, has been appointed general director of the State arms company "UkrBoronProm" by Presidential ukaz.

Earlier in last year he had broke the nose of another opposition deputy..he's the half-crazed one leading the charge in this video ..Heaven help us all...

Perhaps only a president with a deeply violent, criminal past would not be embarrassed to make such an appointment...but just a little warning for Yanukovych and his administration - Belarus president Lukashenko and many of his cronies are to be placed on an EU visa ban list..

And I liked this from Vitaliy Portnikov, writing about ever-increasing repression of oppositionists in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

"But fear amongst the ruling authorites in a state where information is sterilized is often generated for irrational reasons. Those at the top frequently distrust their our own environment which assures them of their opponents' weakness. They does not believe it when television shows protests against them to be insignificant and to have little support, because they themselves control the TV. They do not believe the official voting figures, because they themselves gives instructions as what these figures are to be. So even a weak enemy may appear to them as a real giant.

And so there is generated a desire to punish and to intimidate - quite natural for of a person who has everything, but is afraid even of his own shadows. This is how the post-Soviet space has been transformed into a country called Arrestantia..."

Firtash, RUE & the Stockholm Conspiracy

Happy New Year dear readers!

Read this excellent piece of investigative journalism entitled:

"A Stockholm Conspiracy - The Underbelly of Ukrainian Gas Dealings"

from the current English language version of 'Der Spiegel'.

p.s. Will Firtash try to muzzle the magazine in German courts in the way he has tried to silence 'Kyiv Post' in the London courts? Is he man enough?