The specialized anti-corruption prosecutor's office collected exhaustive evidence in the case against the sponsor of the People's Front party, ex-deputy Nikolai Martynenko. However, the fight against corruption in the higher echelons of power requires not only an evidence base.
This was stated by the head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office Nazar Kholodnitsky in an interview with TSN.
Commenting on the court's decision to let Martynenko go home on bail, Kholodnitsky said: "We gave our statements, we gave our evidence, we gave our reasons. Why did the court make such a decision? The question here is not just for us. If we could detain and close ourselves in jail, it would probably be something else then ".
"But we have a court that exercises judicial control, and the prosecutor's office and the legal profession in these processes are equal participants. And they are doing their job ... In the case of Martynenko, we gave an exhaustive evidence base. But we all perfectly understand that the top corruption in Ukraine is a phenomenon that requires not only a solid evidence base. It also requires political will and the will to fight corruption. We have it, "he said..
Kholodnitsky also said that in the investigation of the Martynenko case it was necessary to cooperate with law enforcement agencies of other states. This, he said, greatly slowed down the investigation.
"Why have we talked about the Martynenko case for quite a long time. There were 12 or 15 international orders. And international law is much more bureaucratic than ours. Some instructions we waited for six months, 9 months, "- he explained..
Asked whether there is a chance for Martynenko to conclude an agreement with the investigation and avoid punishment, the head of the SAP said: "I'm not ready to discuss this now. The investigation continues ".
As reported by the "Observer", on April 20, detectives of NABU and SAP prosecutors detained ex-head of the parliament committee on fuel and energy complex Nikolay Martynenko and former chairman of the supervisory board of the Odessa port plant Sergei Perelom on suspicion of causing damage to the state for $ 17 million.
The court dismissed Martynenko on bail to his "friends". This preventive measure will be in force until June 20.
At the same time, the court arrested part of the property of the former deputy.
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