Former Minister Korniychuk released on signed undertaking to remain in Kyiv

The preventive measure against former First Deputy Minister of Justice in Yulia Tymoshenko’s Government, Yevhen Korniychuk was on Tuesday changed from remand in custody to a signed undertaking not to leave the city. His lawyer Ihor Fomin told the media that the decision had been taken by the Prosecutor’s investigator in view of the fact that Korniychuk’s side had finished studying the case material.

The release also followed a meeting the day before between President Yanukovych and the Head of the Supreme Court, Vasyl Onopenko who is also Korniychuk’s father-in-law. 

The news came soon after it was reported that the criminal investigation against Onopenko’s younger daughter had been terminated after the latter paid money owed a civil claimant.

Yevhen Korniychuk was arrested on 22 December 2010.  He had gone at the first summons to the Prosecutor General’s investigators directly from the maternity ward where his wife that day had given birth to the couple’s third child. 

On 24 December the Pechersky District Court in Kyiv rejected the Prosecutor General’s application for Korniychuk’s remand in custody for 2 months and only extended the term from three to ten days. However on 30 December the same court remanded him for two months.

On 10 January Serhiy Konkov, President of the Association of Lawyers of Ukraine, issued a statement demonstrating the lack of grounds for remand in custody and offering to stand as guarantor of Korniychuk’s appearance whenever required by the investigator or court.

On 31 January the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that it had completed its investigation into the charge against Korniychuk  of exceeding his official powers.

New information reported at Ukrainska Pravda