Advisor to Albright calls for speedy investigation into Gongadze case

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - A special adviser to Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright with responsibility for the former Soviet states on January 10 called on Ukraine to conduct a "speedy and transparent" investigation into the disappearance of Heorhii Gongadze.

During a news conference in Washington Ambassador Steven Sestanovich, a political appointee who is expected to be replaced in the new Bush administration, said that while Ukraine has made "exceptional progress" in its relations with international lending institutions, the Gongadze affair, which has snowballed into a major political scandal in Ukraine, will continue to do harm to Ukraine's reputation until it is resolved.

"Our position, guided here by what seems to be a strong consensus in Ukraine itself, is that Ukrainian interests will be best served by a speedy and transparent investigation of this matter," said Mr. Sestanovich, according to Reuters.

Opponents of President Leonid Kuchma have said there are grounds to believe that he and several other senior Ukrainian officials had a role in the disappearance of Mr. Gongadze, who friends believe was murdered.

They claim to have an audiocassette on which President Kuchma allegedly is heard planning the disappearance of the outspoken journalist, who was the founder of one of Ukraine's first Internet newspapers. The tapes were made by an individual who claims he was a personal bodyguard to the president, and as such had access to the president's inner chambers, where he placed a recording device that recorded conversations between the president and senior officials in which they allegedly plan criminal activities.

During the press conference an unnamed U.S. official said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the tapes.

"We would not prejudge anything like that. We just believe that the government should do this full investigation and do it as quickly as possible," said the U.S. official.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 14, 2001, No. 2, Vol. LXIX

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