Former US Ambassador George Kent stated that ex-Prosecutor General Yurii Lutsenko sought personal benefit from amber mining schemes in the Rivne Region and even demanded "his share" of American aid to Ukraine. The diplomat said this, describing Lutsenko's contacts with Rudy Giuliani and attempts to transfer fabricated materials to him.
He told about this in an interview with Ukraїner.
Kent emphasized that Lutsenko did not act in the interests of Ukraine, despite his public rhetoric.
"He did not act in the interests of Ukraine, because his understanding of serving the country was very primitive, Soviet. In the end, Lutsenko went into politics. He wanted his own way, he wanted to get rich. That's why he became the prosecutor general, that's why there was an amber mining scheme in his native Rivne Region, from which he demanded his share of the trade. In terms of aid to Ukraine, the total amount was USD 4.1 or USD 4.2 million for the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO). Lutsenko wanted to know where his share was," Kent said.
According to the diplomat, Lutsenko and his entourage were convinced that the US Embassy "had bags of money lying around" that were supposed to be transferred directly.
Kent explained that the US did not transfer a single penny directly to the PGO, and all assistance was provided through four transparent mechanisms - the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, the International Institute for the Development of Law in Rome, State Department programs through the US Department of Justice, and a grant to Ukrainian NGOs.
"All the money was accounted for, thanks to our transparency, people could go to the websites and see where the money went. But Yurii was still convinced that there were bags of cash and he wanted his own," Kent recalls.
Despite this, Lutsenko brought Rudy Giuliani a package of documents, which he handed over to the White House. From there, they were sent to the Department of State and eventually to the Office of Inspector General, where they were reviewed as part of the Trump impeachment investigation.
"So part of my duty, my honor, as a participant in the impeachment investigation, involved talking about these fabricated papers that were handed over to Rudy Giuliani," the diplomat noted.
What is known about amber mining in the Rivne Region
Amber mining in the Rivne Region combined both legal activities under special permits and illegal fishing, which caused damage to the environment, despite constant raids and criminal cases. The police and the State Bureau of Investigation are actively fighting illegals, but they continue to work, while legal companies are implementing technologies that allow them to restore damaged forests.
In December 2021, the largest amber stone in Ukraine was discovered in the Rivne Region.
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