12.07.2017 (UKRAINE) - The Chairman of world-leading commodities business Fedcominvest, Alekszej Fedoricsev, dismisses the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine's (NABU) recent inflammatory statements as a "misguided and misleading" smear campaign. The controversial agency, which continues to pursue Mr Fedoricsev as part of a politically motivated crusade of harassment against him and his businesses, may not even have competence to make formal requests to international authorities in the first place.
The NABU statement, reported in Ukrainian News on the 7th July 2017, claims that the agency will attempt to progress their investigation into Mr Fedoricsev and his company Fedcominvest via the Monaco authorities. However, it does not acknowledge Ukraine's various obligations under international law[1] which are likely to ban NABU from legally issuing a Notice of Suspicion via the Monaco authorities in the first place.
This is not the first time that NABU has acted beyond its legal powers. For several months now, NABU has pursued an unjustified and politically motivated investigation into Fedcominvest and Mr Fedoricsev. NABU's baseless allegations centre on commercial disputes between the State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine (SF&G) and various private firms. Fedcominvest is not a party to any dispute with SF&G.
NABU has been criticised extensively throughout their investigation. The discredited anti-corruption agency previously arbitrarily applied to the court for freezing of Mr Fedoricsev's accounts, however this action was reversed by a Judge in Kyiv's Solomyansky District Court. The Judge confirmed that NABU unreasonably and prematurely requested to froze the accounts of Mr Fedoricsev without following the proper legal procedures. The Judge also held that Mr Fedoricsev could not be a formal suspect in NABU's investigations as the agency had disregarded due process.
NABU have also pursued an unjustified media campaign against Mr Fedoricsev and have harassed the company's employees, including Fedcominvest's Vice President Marco Garzone. Mr Garzone was removed from an international grain conference earlier this year and questioned by NABU representatives for 12 hours. He has not been charged and is not under investigation.
Mr Fedoricsev says,
"All I have ever wanted is to run my businesses in Ukraine peacefully and successfully. I have invested over one billion US dollars in in Ukraine, including building some of the most advanced grain terminals in the region which have provided employment to thousands of hard-working Odessans. I want to continue to make a positive difference to the lives of the Ukrainian people.
"NABU's campaign of harassment against me and my businesses clearly show a politically motivated smear campaign designed to interfere with my legitimate business operations and the lives of the people I employ. NABU do not have the power to bully me and my employees in the way that they are doing now. They are operating with increasing impunity and I will not stop fighting this arbitrary harassment against me and my businesses."
[1] Under Rule 15 of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters 1959