In response to the recent Chaus case developments, Ukrainian MP Pavlenko said ‘This is not even a desire to ‘get Poroshenko’. After all, Poroshenko does not care about another empty and hopeless criminal case. There are already so many of them. The motivation of the authorities is different – it is fear because they betrayed the secret operation.’

The MP also condemned attacks on  Vasyl Burba, a former head of the Main Intelligence Agency, who was allegedly involved in Chaus’s escape from Ukraine in 2016.

‘In reality, Burba is highly professional. He is the main witness to the treason in the top leadership of Ukraine, which occurred at the end of July 2020. The traitors are ready to do anything to destroy him, if not physically, then morally, or just put behind bars with fake accusations.’

According to Pavlenko, Ukrainian authorities shoud be held to account for several crimes, namely kidnapping (Articles 146 and 146-1 of the Criminal Code); organization of illegal border crossing (Article 332); excess of authority (Article 426-1); non-execution of a court decision (Article 382).

The MP also voiced concern over deterioration of Ukrainian-Moldovan relations arguing that Moldovan official reports  confirmed Chaus was kidnapped by Ukrainian diplomats, military intelligence and other special services.

‘The police, the prosecutor’s office and the parliamentary commission independently came to the same conclusions, which reinforces their objectivity and political impartiality’,  added Pavlenko.

He also agrued that intelligence and diplomats could not act on their own initiative with orders for such operation probably coming from the President of Ukraine and his aides.

Backstory

Ex-judge Chaus, who had been kidnapped in Moldova, was unexpectedly found in Vinnytsia region on July 30. The lawyers could not find a client and talk to him for three days.

The judge was to be detained by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau officers. However, the judge was intercepted by the Security Service. Details in the ‘Bukvy’ article.

Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the President’s office, said that ‘this story has nothing to do with the President’s office’.

On August 2, MP Geo Leros claimed that President Zelensky had met with Chaus.

Serhii Nykyforov, a President’s spokesperson, denies Zelensky’s meeting with the ex-judge.

Who is Chaus?

Mykola Chaus is an ex-judge of the Dniprovskyi District Court of Kyiv, known for making decisions against Avtomaidan. He was subject to lustration, but was not lustrated.

On August 9, 2016, the National Anticorruption Bureau detectives caught Chaus on a $ 150,000 bribe. However, the judge was not detained because, according to the Constitution, he had judicial immunity.

On November 28, 2017, the High Council of Justice dismissed Chaus from the position of a judge. In October, Interpol declared Chaus wanted.

He was found in Moldova. On July 11, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the Moldovan government to facilitate the extradition of Mykola Chaus.

Chaus kidnapping

On April 3, Chaus’s lawyer, Yulian Balan, said that a group of unidentified armed persons had abducted his client. Moldovan President Maia Sandu reacted to this.

A video was released showing the moment of the abduction. Subsequently, the Moldovan media, citing ‘Index’ Telegram channel, stated that Chaus had been taken to Ukraine in a Toyota RAV 4, which allegedly belonged to the Ukrainian embassy.

Later, the same channel reported that the military attaché of the embassy Serhii Smetaniuk was allegedly driving the Toyota RAV 4.