Citizens of Ukraine praise U.S. for prosecution of Lazarenko (09/10/06)

Citizens of Ukraine praise U.S. for prosecution of Lazarenko

by Zenon Zawada
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - The U.S. government recently managed to do what remains elusive for Ukrainians.

Of the hundreds of Ukrainian oligarchs who enriched themselves during the anarchic and often illegal privatizations of the 1990s, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko became the first to receive punishment for funneling money out of the country.

Though Ukrainians expressed support for the U.S. government's prosecution of a corrupt oligarch, they aren't particularly optimistic that the same will happen in Ukraine.

"Everyone knows what should happen, but it won't," said Ihor Korenevskyi, 41, a designer. "If they are powerful people, they have enough tools to remain in their places."

Apathy and indifference to politics was the prevailing mood among those enjoying a breezy autumn day in Kyiv's Shevchenko Park on September 7.

Of 15 Ukrainians approached by The Ukrainian Weekly, five said they weren't aware of Mr. Lazarenko's sentencing, five supported it, while five were indifferent. On August 25 the former prime minister of Ukraine was sentenced to nine years in prison and fined $10 million for money laundering.

"Someone has committed a crime and now he's imprisoned, so I like that," said Yulia Lytvyn, 30, a teacher. "But I have enough of my own problems and the oligarchs don't matter to me. I have nothing to do with them."

The consensus was that people like Mr. Lazarenko should be prosecuted in Ukraine, but the average Ukrainian is powerless to do anything about it.

"They should do something about it," said Maria Kyshenko, 25. "They should face punishment. What can I do as a simple student?"

What prevents authorities from prosecuting wealthy businessmen is that Ukraine's prosecutors and judges continue to be bribed and blackmailed by the very same people who deserve prosecution, many said.

"We have a special mentality: 'Money resolves everything,' " said Bohdan Ivanov, 25, a security guard. "We have an imperfect judicial and administrative system, to say the least."

The whole rank and file of prosecutors and judges in Ukraine's entire judicial system needs to be cleaned out, said Vasyl Petrunin, 27, a sailor. If Ukraine had a leader like Russia's Vladimir Putin, progress in this area could occur, he said.

Through the example of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Mr. Putin was able to establish control over every Russian oligarch to prevent them from influencing the state, Mr. Petrunin added. "Ukraine's oligarchs aren't going to imprison each other," he said. "Everything here is divided between them - even the people."

Those who expected changes after the Orange Revolution in how the government deals with criminals admitted disappointment in the new leaders.

Others said they never believed in the Orange Revolution in the first place.

"The same people have come to power," said Oleksander Fomenko, 24, an electrician. "Now some are called 'orange' while others are 'blue-and-white.' But there is no difference between them. They have mutual business, mutual interests, the correct PR."

In the view of Mykola Kashevko, 29, the oligarchs aren't to blame for their actions and shouldn't go to jail. It's those who allowed them to get away with theft and money laundering who deserve the blame, he said.

Only a new generation of Ukrainians, with a new mentality, will be able to enforce laws that would prevent wealthy criminals from evading prosecution, many said.

Maybe in five or 10 years Ukraine will reach a European level regarding not only its law, but lifestyle too, Mr. Ivanov said.

Ukrainian mentality is summarized by the proverb, "Moya khata z krayu, ya nichoho ne znayu" (My house is on the edge, I don't know anything), said Viktoria, 35, a financial specialist who declined to give her last name.

But at least someone is doing something right, she said. "The Americans are molodtsi," she said, using a Ukrainian term to compliment them.

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