Onyshchenko Is in London, Prepares to Trial

Oleksandr Onyshchenko, an MP of Volya Narodu [Eng.: The People’s Will] faction, is in London and prepares to litigate with Ukrainian law enforcement authorities, he reported on his Facebook page. He also said on air on 112 Channel that he had applied for the political asylum in the U.K.

According to him, he stays in London legally. He hired a reputable international law firm to litigate with Ukrainian authorities and prove his innocence in the charged offences. He specified that he had selected London because he needed "fully transparent process to evaluate the evidence of both parties."

He accused Ukrainian law enforcement in public lie and forgery of evidence and asserted that British judiciary is known for being corrupt-proof and conducting thorough and comprehensive assessment of evidence.

"It’s also very important that the judiciary in London is very sensitive to the obvious political speculations in the cases similar to my case," Onyshchenko added. He claimed having an amplitude of evidence that his case had serious negative political implications.

He asserted that the charges against him were only based on rumors, allegations and forgery. He also highlighted that it was impossible to stand trial in Ukraine because "the investigation is violating each and every principle of the right to fair trial."

Moreover, Onyshchenko called on the NABU Chief Artem Sytnyk and Lead Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytskyi to stop disseminating false charges and lie about his stay in Russia. He was in Russia on a ‘very short personal trip,’ he claimed.

The lawyers of Onyshchenko confirmed to Ukrayinska Pravda that the MP was in London preparing the official statement about his whereabouts with his lawyers.

Speaking on air on 112 Channel, Onyshchenko said that his business in Ukraine had been completely seized, refusing to provide details on who had been involved into it. He also claimed that the investigation put pressure on the witnesses in his case. He applied for the political asylum in the U.K, he added.

On July 5, the Verkhovna Rada agreed to launch criminal proceedings against Onyshchenko, but he fled Ukraine before this day and now is hiding from justice. He is believed to be the mastermind of the embezzlement scheme through state-run gas company Ukrgazvydobuvannia.

Source: Ukrayinska Pravda