Lutsenko case: MIA veterans willing to pay cost of Police Day event

The trial continued on Friday of Yury Lutsenko, former Internal Affairs Minister and leader of the opposition People’s Self Defence Party. According to the 57th witness questioned, General Volodymyr Yevdokimov, Head of Criminal Police from 2007-2010, he had been upset that the event was treated as a special occasion, not festivities, and explained that according to the Presidential decree, the day is stipulated as a day of celebration, and a Cabinet of Ministers  Resolution cannot cancel this.

He said that the event was without pomp and a buffet and that he had even laid things on for veterans out of his own money.

Yevdokimov said that MIA veterans and generals were ready to collect the necessary amount of money to pay back the cost of renting a hall of the Ukraina Palace which the Prosecutor is claiming was squandering of public funding.

One of the charges against Yury Lutsenko relates to this event with it being called abuse of office with significant cost to the state.  The defence lawyers say that what is in question is 607 thousand UAH, 300 thousand in 2008 and 2009, as well as 7 thousand for flowers, medals and petrol.