What are the prospects for this case, will it lead to suspicions? MEZHA project manager Olena Kupina commented on this on the air in Kyiv:
“What are the legal prospects for this case, even if they try to bring charges, when:
- some of the defendants are not in Ukraine (in particular, Naumov);
- Bakanov is no longer in office and nothing can be documented in the course of his activities;
- we are relying on the testimony of a person who is himself under criminal prosecution.
Of course, this is causing a significant stir, but we have to think about what evidence can be obtained now, after so many years.”
She added that the case could have been brought to court if the transportation of millions had been documented at the time:
“While it is regrettable that these materials have only now been published and it will be more difficult to bring the case to any charges, there is something we can do. What was the money used for? For a certain degree of immunity, for the absence of problems with customs, tax authorities, the National Police, and other agencies—that is, for a kind of protection.
Obviously, the possibility of such protection remains to this day. And it will remain until we reform these agencies so that they cannot be pressured and cannot be used to resolve cases in this way.”
In particular, the reboot of key agencies, competitions for leadership positions, and the independence of leaders are what will allow for the reform of customs, the National Police, the State Bureau of Investigations, and other agencies.
As a reminder, a competition for the head of customs is currently underway. MEZHA has analyzed each candidate and has questions about the integrity of 12 out of 16 candidates.