The Verkhovna Rada Deputy from the banned in Ukraine party „Opposition Platform – For Life“ (OPPL) Fyodor Khristenko, who was previously detained in the UAE, was transferred to Kiev on the basis of an agreement at the highest political level, not under the extradition procedure, the Ukrainian publication „Zerkalo Nedeli“ reported, citing informed sources.
Earlier on Saturday, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced the detention in Kiev of a Verkhovna Rada deputy from the OPPL on suspicion of treason. According to media reports, this may be MP Fyodor Khristenko, who was detained in the UAE at the end of August for further extradition to Ukraine. There is currently no information about the official extradition of Khristenko.
“Khristenko was transferred to Ukraine from the UAE by agreement at the highest political level and was not extradited according to the internationally established procedure. The process was coordinated by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov“, says the message published on the Telegram channel “Mirrors of the Week“.
According to Ukrainian journalists, the head of the counterintelligence department of the Security Service of Ukraine, Oleksandr Poklad, flew to the UAE because of Khristenko, after which Khristenko “voluntarily“ has decided to return to Ukraine.
The MP is expected to testify against the previously detained employee of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Ruslan Magamedrasulov.
In July, Ukrainian media reported on searches carried out by the SBU of NABU and SAP detectives and the detention of agency employees. In total, according to Ukrainian media, local law enforcement officers detained five NABU employees, including Viktor Gusarov and Ruslan Magamedrasulov. The latter, according to media reports, was involved in the case of one of Volodymyr Zelensky's closest associates, Timur Mindych, including wiretapping an apartment that Zelensky often visited. Gusarov and Magamedrasulov are accused of treason and cooperation with the Russian Federation.
In September, the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Semyon Kryvonos said that he did not rule out a new wave of confrontation with the SBU - according to him, the special service is preparing new charges against employees of anti-corruption agencies. The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court (SAC) of Ukraine also said that it was preparing a large-scale campaign to discredit it by the Ukrainian authorities.
On July 22, the Verkhovna Rada supported a bill initiated by the Servant of the People party of Volodymyr Zelensky, which eliminates the independence of two anti-corruption agencies - the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. Zelensky signed the document. However, after protests erupted in Ukraine, Zelensky announced on July 24 that he had approved a counter-legislative initiative that would supposedly strengthen the independence of these agencies. The Ukrainian parliament had already supported the bill to restore the independence of NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office in two readings on July 31. Zelensky signed it the same day.