Kuchma wants comprehensive probe into Gongadze murder

Commenting on a court ruling to close the criminal case against him, Kuchma reiterates that he is not responsible for the death of the journalist 

KYIV, January 27, 2012 (UBO) – President of Ukraine (1994-2005) Leonid Kuchma will insists on prosecuting the instigators of the murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze, he said this in an interview with Facts and Comments newspaper, UkrInform reported.

“The real instigators of this crime that made its victims not only Gongadze and his family, but also Ukraine, throwing it for many years into the political crisis, are not found. I want them to be brought to justice, and therefore I will insist on the need for a comprehensive investigation,” the former president emphasized.

Commenting on a court ruling to close the criminal case against him, Kuchma reiterated that he is not responsible for the death of the journalist. “Even my zealous opponents, who came to power solely on criticism of Kuchma, have found nothing. Because you cannot prove something that never existed,” he stressed.

The ex-President also noted that he had never exerted pressure on the prosecutors general responsible for investigating the Gongadze case during his presidency. According to him, he only asked to expedite the investigation and find people who were behind the 'tape scandal'.

“I met the chiefs of the SBU, talked to them, no sane person would believe that a Major organized a wiretapping of the presidential office. To find a puppeteer - a matter of your honor,” Kuchma said.

The criminal proceedings against Kuchma were instituted on March 21, 2011. The audio recordings illegally made by Mykola Melnychenko, ex-major of state guard at the presidential office, were recognized by the court as material evidence in the case.

However, on October 21, the Constitutional Court passed a decision, pursuant to which the charge of committing a crime cannot be based on data obtained by illegal means, which excluded the possibility of using the Melnychenko recordings as evidence in the Kuchma case.

Gongadze went missing in Kyiv on September 16, 2000.

In November 2000, Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz unveiled recordings allegedly made by Melnychenko in the office of President Kuchma, which confirmed the involvement of the latter in the disappearance of Gongadze.

As reported, Kyiv Pechersk district court closed the criminal case against Leonid Kuchma on December 14, 2011. The relevant resolution stated that the court found no evidence of Kuchma's involvement in this crime.

January 25, Kyiv's Court of Appeals dismissed a complaint of the Prosecutor General's Office and lawyers of Melnychenko and Myroslava Gongadze against termination of the criminal proceedings involving former President Kuchma. Thus, the ruling of the Pechersk District Court to close the case remained in force.