Yesterday in the evening the scandalous copies of the protocol dealing with Mikhail Chechetov’s interrogation were publicized in Kiev. These very scandalous materials on Mikhail Chechetov, former president of State Property Fund, were made public by Obozrevatel agency previously.

Judging from the publicized documents, the law machinery got the most sensational evidences having talked with the former SPF president. Mikhail Chechetov shared with legal officials information what role Leonid Kuchma had played in the privatization of Kryvorizhstal steel mill, what was the altitude of Viktor Pinchuk towards it and how the Cabinet of Ministers headed by Viktor Yanukovich related to the auction.

Today the parliament is to handle to the General Prosecuotr a request on lawsuit initiation based on Chechetov’s testimonies. However, the parties involved have different points of view: i.e. Mikhail Brodsky is insisting that the documents can be trusted, yet Mikhail Chechetov is refuting everything previously publicized.  

Mikhail Beletsky, reporter of CN-Stolichnye Novosty (Capital News) weekly newspaper, is performing a journalist investigation on this topical event.

The election campaign is in its full swing soon. Meanwhile the state is faced with political disputes, proposals on dismissing the parliament and presidential statements to carry out a referendum in order to determine the fate of the constitutional reform.

So, if we take into account the documents publicized by Obozrevatel (Observer) Internet agency and consider them reliable, then the first deputy of the criminal investigation department, lieutenant colonel of the militia Y. A. Digtyar did interrogated Mikhail Chechetov and Mr. Chechetov gave the evidence on privatizing activity realized on behalf of SPF to the lieutenant colonel.

Reading the protocol (the abstract is enclosed below) one can not help pitying the SPF ex-president.

“Question: Who carries out personal responsibility for the lawfulness of object privatizing realized on your instruction?

Answer: I am responsible for the lawfulness of any privatized object sold on my instructions.

General privatization of the objects which are not subjected to be sold is SPF business, this procedure is realized according to the regulations set by my predecessors and I have neither raised this question nor cast doubts on it. And I have never studied the question of lawfulness and legality of privatized state objects.

Question: Do you think that privatization of state objects and other objets not subjected to it corresponds to the law?

Answer: I do not think so. However, that is my personal opinion. In action, SPF may let their privatization as an exception. Besides, I have got special instructions from high-ranked officials.

As for Kryvorizhstal privatization, the instructions were directed by Leonid Kuchma, former Ukrainian president, i.e. he recommended me to pay attention to the project on Kryvorizhstal privatization prepared by deputy Pinchuk.

Meeting with Pinchuk, I explained to him, that SPF did not have the right to prepare the documents on the steel mill privatizing without governmental support. Then president Kuchma called for the second time and commissioned me to prepare the necessary documents”.

It is needless to say how Chechetov’s "resistance" was broken and he had not only to follow the instructions thoroughly, but also to do he best in order to fulfil the errand, commissioned by Leonid Kuchma and support “national investor”.

Nevertheless, the SPF president, taught by the “bitter” experience acquired by Kryvorizhstal, did not let Leonid Kuchma call twice when the privatization of Nikopol ferroalloy plant was put into SPF agenda.         

Mr. Chechetov reacted to the publicized protocol quite naturally: he refuted everything, “It is another version of the cassette scandal where ex-major Melnichenko is involved. One may fabricate practically everything nowadays”. Yet the former SPF president could not deny his being interrogated by militia servicemen, “By the present authority about half of our population has been summoned and interrogated by the ministry of internals”.        

Mikhail Beletsky, CN-Stolichnye Novosty