Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14309 | 28 April 2017

Ukraine is urged to fight corruption and bring criminals to justice

Signatories: Mr Eerik-Niiles KROSS, Estonia, ALDE ; Ms Boriana ÅBERG, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Tobias BILLSTRÖM, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Ms Doris FIALA, Switzerland, ALDE ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Jean-Pierre GRIN, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Alfred HEER, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrej HUNKO, Germany, UEL ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Florian KRONBICHLER, Italy, SOC ; Ms Kerstin LUNDGREN, Sweden, ALDE ; Mr Jaak MADISON, Estonia, EC ; Ms Marianne MIKKO, Estonia, SOC ; Mr Andrei NOVIKOV, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Senad ŠEPIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EPP/CD ; Ms Olena SOTNYK, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Since October 2015, an organised crime group has de facto controlled the municipality of Zakota, (Odessa oblast). The group continues its activities almost unhindered with the help of vast corruption in the police, the prosecutor’s office and the court system. Racket money has become the norm. The Estonian company FTT Ukraina has been forced to stop all investments and faces the risk of losing all its assets. Physical attacks against people and property continue. The organised crime group has stolen land and real estate in excess of USD 20-30 million in the area.

The National Police of Ukraine arrested assassins hired by the crime group to kill the partner of the Estonian investor. However, the organisers of the assassination were released soon after.

The investor, his representatives and local people in Zatoka have filed dozens of crime reports to the police in Odessa and Kiev and several investigations were initiated. None of the investigations have produced any results.

In their public statements the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the Prime Minister, the Minister for Internal Affairs, the Head of the Police, and other officials have promised full support to the investor and to bring the Zatoka criminals to justice. In reality no progress has been shown. Ukraine is directly violating the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Republic of Estonia on Promotion and Mutual Protection of Investments.

The Parliamentary Assembly finds it of utmost importance that Ukraine demonstrates its ability to fight corruption, protect the rights of domestic and foreign investors in Ukraine, investigate the crimes by organised crime groups fully and transparently and bring the criminals to justice.