On Monday (December 20), Ukrainian authorities conducted a formal investigation of former President Petro Poroshenko for treason, accusing him of funding separatist forces in the East Donbass region.
Officials said the charges against Poroshenko are related to similar charges against pro-Russian Congressman Victor Medvechuk, who has been under house arrest for about six months.
Medvechuk and Poroshenko’s parties have denied wrongdoing.
Since Zelensky took office in May 2019, the country’s authorities have been harassing his predecessor Poroshenko, conducting dozens of investigations against him. Some European and transatlantic partners expressed concern about Poroshenko’s notification of allegations.
Oleksand Turchinov, a senior official of Poroshenko’s European Solidarity Party, said in a statement that the accusation was fabricated under the direction of President Zelensky and that it would “turn into a farce. , Just like all the previous farce”.
Since 2014, Ukraine has been fighting separatists backed by Russia in the Donbass region.
Medvechuk’s party is the second largest party in the parliament. It is a citizen of Ukraine, but it has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that the Russian leader is the godfather of his daughter.
The National Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine stated in a statement that Poroshenko was suspected of initially conspiring with a group of unnamed persons, including some senior Russian officials, to “facilitate the activities of terrorist organizations.”
In October, law enforcement officials accused Medvechuk of colluding with officials during the Poroshenko administration to purchase coal from coal mines in separatist-controlled areas between 2014 and 2015 as a way of funding separatists.
Poroshenko’s political party referred to these allegations as smoke bombs in October to divert attention from the government’s own misconduct.
Officials said last week that the bureau could not personally summon Poroshenko for questioning. Poroshenko’s party stated that the former president has left the country for a planned trip.
After separatists occupied the territory where the coal mine was located, Ukraine faced a severe fuel shortage. Prosecutors accused Medvedchuk of colluding with state officials to prevent the purchase of coal from the international market.
