The 2014 coal imports controversy was back in the spotlight after state investigators announced on October 8 they found evidence pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk colluded with top officials to block coal imports from international market, which helped him profiteer from illegal deals he brokered with management of the coal mines in Russia-occupied parts of Donbas.
Valeriya Sumar, who at the time was the deputy secretary of Ukraine’s state security council, said investigation is part of campaign waged to discredit Petro Poroshenko and former members of his administration, and help to ‘shift focus of the public from the offshore scandal [involving Zelensky]’.
In a statement Friday, ‘European Solidarity’ MP called the new allegations a ‘long list of lies’.
She brushed off claims Poroshenko officials ‘ordered to open all the banking institutions in ‘uncontrolled territories of Ukraine’ arguing that all those offices were, in fact, ordered to be closed ‘ overnight’ to destroy all the cash kept there that could fall into the hands of separatists.
‘European Solidarity’ MP said the coal imports investigation ‘absurd’ as it is plain clear that getting coal from as far as South Africa at $109 per tonne wouldn’t be a good idea when you can get it twice cheaper from Ukrainian coal mines.
In addition to its inflated price, South African coal just ‘didn’t burn and proved low-quality’, added Sumar, noting that its ash content turned out be lower than the contract stipulations.
She said, refusal to purchase such coal in South Africa blocked ‘a very serious corruption affair’ that would blow a hold in the [state] budget.
‘It was a hot phase of this war. The group was made up of law enforcement [operatives]… They were tasked to ensure that a coal mine from Ukraine could safely bring cash, pay the Ukrainian employees, Ukrainian coal mines,’ said Sumar to counter investigation claims the SBU ‘was smuggling money in cash’.
The former state security official warned the country now faces ‘much worse dependence’ as Russia is plotting its ‘energy revenge’ with Ukraine being in a tight corner, which can lead to concessions to ‘political demands of Volodymyr Putin’.
‘It is questions of realization of Steinmeier formula, and staging elections [in Russia-controlled Donbas].’, which will help Russia to get rid of sanctions.