MPs demand Zelensky, Trump investigate suspicion of U.S.-Ukraine corruption involving $7.4 bln
KYIV. Nov 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian members of parliament have demanded the presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, investigate suspicions of the legalization of $7.4 billion by the "family" of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych through the American investment fund Franklin Templeton Investments, which they said has ties to the U.S. Democratic Party.
At a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday, MP Andriy Derkach announced that deputies have received new materials from investigative journalists about international corruption and the participation of Ukrainian officials in it.
"Last week, November 14, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), unnoticed by the media, announced a new suspicion to the notorious owner of Burisma, ex-Ecology Minister Zlochevsky. According to the suspicion, the Yanukovych family is suspected, in particular, with legalizing (laundering) of criminally obtained income through Franklin Templeton Investments, an investment fund carrying out purchases of external government loan bonds totaling $7.4 billion," Derkach said.
With reference to the investigation, he emphasized: it was money criminally obtained by the "family" of Yanukovych and invested in the purchase of Ukrainian debt in 2013-2014.
For his part, MP Oleksandr Dubinsky from the Servant of the People faction said that according to investigators, "the Yanukovych 'family' illegally obtained $7.4 billion and laundered the funds through an investment fund close to some representatives of the U.S. Democratic Party in the form of external government loan bonds."
Meanwhile, Derkach said that several facts indicate Franklin Templeton Investments' relationship with the U.S. Democratic Party.
"The son of Templeton's founder, John Templeton Jr., was one of President Obama's major campaign donors. Another fund-related character is Thomas Donilon. Managing Director of BlackRock Investment Institute, shareholder Franklin Templeton Investments, which has the largest share in the fund. It is noteworthy that he previously was Obama's national security advisor," Derkach said.
The MP said that the presidents of Ukraine and the United States should combine the efforts of the two countries to establish facts of corruption and money laundering with the participation of citizens of both countries.
"President Zelensky must pick up the phone, dial Trump, ask for help and cooperation in the fight against corruption and fly to Washington. The issue of combating international corruption in Ukraine with the participation of citizens, businessmen and U.S. officials should become a key during the meeting of the two presidents," he said.
Derkach said as a result of the meeting, it is necessary to build interaction between the Ukrainian investigating authorities and the U.S. Department of Justice to obtain information about the organizers of the bond issue, clients and beneficiaries of investment funds for each purchase, interrogate fund officials, etc.
As reported, on October 9, 2019, Derkach published official correspondence between NABU and the U.S. Embassy, according to which the first deputy of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), Gizo Uglava, through his assistant Polina Chyzh, for a long time provided the U.S. Embassy with information that negatively affected the course of events in Ukraine and the United States.
Derkach said Chyzh received instructions from the representative of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine Hanna Emelyanova to provide information on the case involving Zlochevsky.
Derkach also announced the amount of money transferred to representatives of the Burisma Group, including Hunter Biden. According to documents, in general, in favor of Hunter Biden, Alexander Kwasniewski, Alan Apter and Devon Archer, Burisma paid about $16.5 million.
According to Derkach, ex-Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin repeatedly appealed to the NABU Director Artem Sytnyk in the framework of criminal proceedings for Burisma, but constantly received formal responses. The activities of Shokin, according to the MP, irritated then U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during his fifth visit to Kyiv in two years. The visit on December 7-8, 2015, was devoted to solving the issue of Shokin's resignation for the affairs of Zlochevsky and Burisma, he said.
"The subject of pressure was the $1 billion credit guarantee that the United States should have provided to Ukraine: Biden himself acknowledged the pressure in his speech to the U.S. Foreign Relations Council in January 2018," Derkach said.
The activities of Shokin, according to the MP, irritated then U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during his fifth visit to Kyiv in two years. The visit on December 7-8, 2015, was devoted to solving the issue of Shokin's resignation for the affairs of Zlochevsky and Burisma, he said.
"The subject of pressure was the $1 billion credit guarantee that the United States should have provided to Ukraine: Biden himself acknowledged the pressure in his speech to the U.S. Foreign Relations Council in January 2018," Derkach said.
How's that for Quid pro Quo?????
Your article is fake news 1st.
"For the record, Interfax has not yet rated by Media Bias/ Face Check and is a Russian publication. As such, it is allowed"
Yes, it is not expressly against policy here to seed fake news. It depends on the MBFC.
Did it specifically say …. "This is Fake News" ….but ALLOWED ?
The story has been debunked. That is why it is fake news. Not sure what your point is, if you have one.
To clarify, the source is under review and therefore allowed.
I really didn't need "Clarification".
I noted that nothing has been noted that it was "Fake" !
By whom ?
NBC ?
The same "Outlet" that said "Hillary Wins" m?
Apparently, you weren't interested enough in the article which debunked this to read it - but you were willing to read the fake news article both times it was posted.
Please do show me where it was "Debunked" !
I read that it could be "Misleading". Not "Fake" !
Did you actually "READ" this so-called" …. "debunktion" thingy ?
Guess you should know then, eh?
And, obviously you're not interested enough in the thread/seed so you attack a commenter.
Comment on the thread - do not attack other commenters.
Only warning.
Story has NOT been debunked. Now, discuss the topic and quit bashing the source.
It's hard to discuss a debunked article "factually" without noting it has been debunked.
Since fake news is permitted on NT unless MBFC indicates otherwise, I guess you are on your own.
Very bad look for NT though.
Where was it "DEBUNKED" ?
It says that two Ukranian MPs conducted a press conference. Did they not? Do we have proof they did not?
I read it. And while NBC unsurprisingly tried to describe it as erroneous, I didn't see them actually show where two Ukranian MPs did not actually have a press conference and did not actually say stuff.
So this story is not any different than NBC reporting that Elizabeth Warren held a press conference and spouted a lot of angry leftist stupidity. We would not call that article "fake news", and it seems unlikely that this one is, either.
I especially admired how far they went in the source of the seeded article--getting look-alikes for two members of Ukraine's Parliament and then having them hold a fake news conference!
/s
The two "MP's" are not credible people. They are cranks. You know, Infowars types.
So what, they are in the Ukrainian parliament. Big deal.
The president of Ukraine used to be a comedian who played the president of the country on a fictional tv show.
Nice words, but can you actually PROVE it?
Oh, that is progress--you actually admitted to what they are!
And?? Did he NOT win an election with around 70% of the vote?
WTF does his former job have to do with anything?
Give it up John - Reality is out of your league.
Now that's funny.
They must Be Trump too !
IMPEACH 'EM !
You people are turning Newstalkers into a waste of time.
Unfortunately Perrie is too nice to say anything to all of you about it.
Use your words JR.
Why depend on someone else to do your talking?
What do you consider a "Waste of Time" ?
Anything and everything that isn't an "I Hate Trump" article?
Reading anything that isn't in lockstep with his opinions?
Just a wild guess!
LMAO
And yet here you are, commenting on, your definition, fake news. You are not going to change minds John. Move along to another story.
So...not very different than AOC, Talib, Warren or Sanders.
They are duly elected members of a representative democracy. It kind of is a big deal, actually.
Ronald Reagan? Al Franken? Der Governator? Everybody from Fred Thompson to Will Rogers?
So basically this "no actors" rule only applies when one interferes with you hating Trump.
duplicate article?
Nope - mine is newer with more information.
Read the links.
Both seeds are linked to the same "story"...same date and time stamp...
If they are, what's your point? Perrie's thread was legitimate - my thread is legitimate. Comment on the thread, not the source.
I am not questioning the source or shaming the source.
I am questioning the waste of time and effort by posting a duplicate seed a day after the first.
His time, his effort.
I don't see any problem with that.
Why is it a problem for you?
Nobody can comment on the first seed it's locked. This is a discussion site and it's hard to discuss a locked seed.