Read also: Who is Mr. Medvedchuk?
For decades, Medvedchuk remained a conduit for Russian influence – media, political, and financial – in Ukraine. In 2004, Putin became godfather to Medvedchuk youngest daughter, attesting to the depth of their relationship.
Medvedchuk is currently under arrest on charges of high treason. During the investigation, he explained how Ukraine was purchasing coal directly from Russian puppet statelets in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014-2015.
He also outlined the way a section of Ukraine’s Samara – Zakhidnyi fuel pipeline was privatized.
According to Medvedchuk, Poroshenko was personally involved in facilitating both corrupt schemes.
He said that Poroshenko asked him to establish a backchannel to the Russian leadership, and was instrumental in pushing necessary decisions through various Ukrainian institutions and agencies.
“In order to privatize this (fuel) pipeline – to essentially make it Poroshenko’s property – a number of steps had to be taken…” said Medvedchuk, according to SSU’s message.
“Courts, prosecutors, the Anti-Trust Committee, State Property Fund – all these (institutions) ruled in favor of (then-) president Poroshenko’s private interests.”
Medvedchuk claims that he was working on the pipeline privatization deal on Poroshenko’s request.
“In one year, the pipeline made its owners twice the money they paid for it – as much as $42 million,” said Medvedchuk.
“All diesel transfers through the pipeline ceased in May 2019 – right after Poroshenko’s term ended.”
Read also: Putin is losing, let him lose
Medvedchuk also told law enforcement about the details of the 2014-2015 scheme to supply Ukraine with coal from areas of Donbas under Russian control.
“The entire senior leadership of the state was involved in this (scheme): from the president and cabinet ministers, to law enforcement and the people, who were directly involved in making it all work,” the arrested MP said.
According to SSU, Medvedchuk specified names of senior officials, who were involved in defrauding the state. The list includes former bureaucrats, central bankers, MPs, and law enforcement officials.
The investigation is ongoing, and aims to establish the details and an exhaustive list of individuals, involved in these corrupt activities.
On April 12, Medvedchuk was arrested at the border, while attempting to flee the country, for breaching the terms of his house arrest.
On April 16, a court in Lviv arrested Medvedchuk, with no bail.
On Feb. 27 – days after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine – Medvedchuk escaped from house arrest. He was charged with high treason, in connection with the “coal case,” which concerns Ukraine purchasing coal from Russian proxies in Donbas in 2014-2015.
Read also: Pro-Russian propagandist Anatoly Shariy arrested in Spain
The prosecution posits that senior Russian leadership approached Medvedchuk in 2014, instructing him to subvert Ukrainian state interests. To achieve this, he colluded with then-president Poroshenko, who used his political and administrative influence to aid Medvedchuk.
Read also: Ukraine’s SBI says ex-president Poroshenko, pro-Russian politician Medvedchuk may be cross-examined
On Dec. 20 2021, Poroshenko was charged with treason and funding terrorism, in connection to the very same “coal case.”
On Jan. 6, a Kyiv court froze Poroshenko’s private assets.
According to European Solidarity, these charges are political in nature and constitute President Volodymyr Zelensky prosecuting his political opponent. Poroshenko accused Zelensky and oligarch Igor Kolomoisky of conspiring against him.
