The Verkhovna Rada has consented the criminal prosecution of Member of Parliament Vadim Novinsky (Opposition Bloc).
This decision received votes of 228 Members of Parliament, while 226 votes enough for approval, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
The Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction voted 103 out of the 143 deputies; People's Front 55 out of 81; Samopomich Association 25 out of 26; Batkivschyna All-Ukrainian Association 12 out of 21; Oleh Liashko's Radical Party 15 out of 21; Vidrodzhennia Party 0 out of 24; and Will of the People 0 out of 18.
Against this decision voted 30 out of 43 lawmakers of the Opposition Bloc faction and one of Vidrodzhennia Party.
The motion was submitted and pushed by Prosecutor General Yurii Lutsenko on November 3.
The Prosecutor-General's Office (PGO) suspects the MP of masterminding together with former President Viktor Yanukovych, Internal Minister Vitalii Zakharchenko and Head of the Chief Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kyiv Valerii Koriak the abduction of Archbishop Oleksandr (Drabynko), a personal assistance to the now deceased former Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate Volodymyr.
Drabynko and one more witness testified against Novinsky.
Novinsky is charged with a crime punishable under Section 2 of Article 146 (illegal deprivation of freedom or abduction) and Section 1 of Article 365 (Abuse of power or authority) of the Penal Code.
November 16, the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on Procedural Regulations and Organisation of Parliament's Work is considering the PGO motion for stripping Novinsky of immunities and for his criminal prosecution. It postponed the issue and requested additional materials from the PGO.
December 6, the Committee continued the consideration and recommended that MPs decide on this issue through voting in the chamber.
The Committee has found the motion lawful, but stressed that its reasoning is insufficient.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Novinsky believes that the PGO's motion for stripping him of immunities is not supported by legal evidence.
He has no intention of leaving the country and is willing to cooperate with the investigation.
Who we are: About us, Contacts. How we write news and our principles: Editorial code. We did our best. If you found this valuable – please support us.
To request a correction, please send an email.