Music tours as scheme for travelling abroad: former head of Ministry of Culture has been notified of suspicion, - Prosecutor General Kravchenko. PHOTO
The former acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has been notified that he is under suspicion of aiding the illegal smuggling of persons across Ukraine’s state border.
This was announced by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko on Telegram, according to Censor.NET.
Kravchenko does not name the acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy. It is likely that he is referring to Rostyslav Karandeev.
The trips were arranged under the guise of participating in concerts
As noted, the scheme was presented as a trip abroad to attend charity concerts. On paper, these men were members of a music band. In reality, they had absolutely nothing to do with music.
That is precisely why border guards initially refused to allow them to cross the state border.
"However, following this, the head of the ministry sent a further letter to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine requesting that they facilitate the departure of these same individuals, this time as members of a music band. It was this letter that served as the documentary basis for them to cross the border.
Eight men liable for military service did not return to Ukraine
"As a result, eight men of conscription age left Ukraine and have not yet returned," the statement reads.
Kravchenko emphasises that during wartime, any decision by an official concerning the departure of conscripts abroad is not a mere formality. It is a matter of national security, trust in institutions and fairness towards those who fulfil their duty to the country.
"A position of authority does not give one the right to circumvent the law. A government document cannot be used as a cover for a scheme.
And during wartime, the accountability of senior officials must be greater, not less," he adds.
It is also noted that the pre-trial investigation under Part 2 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is being conducted by the National Police.
The investigation is ongoing. Further incidents are being identified, along with other individuals who may be involved.
