Protest Demanding the Arrest of Prosecutor Vinnikov
The public movement "Manifest 42" held a protest outside the Kyiv Court of Appeal and the Office of the Prosecutor General in response to the court's decision not to impose a preventive measure in the form of detention on Prosecutor Volodymyr Vinnikov, who is suspected of embezzling more than 4 million UAH seized during a search.
"On September 12, 2024, the Kyiv Court of Appeal confirmed the decision of the Pechersk District Court not to apply detention to Prosecutor Volodymyr Vinnikov. Vinnikov was released on personal recognizance, which expires on September 13, and after that, he will face no further restrictions despite the gravity of the crime committed.
In January 2024, Prosecutor Volodymyr Vinnikov disappeared from his workplace around the same time as foreign currency equivalent to over 4 million UAH was stolen from the safe of the Holosiivsky District Prosecutor's Office. This money was material evidence in a case against the company "Medinova," which Vinnikov was handling. During the searches in this case, Vinnikov stated his intention to use the seized funds for his personal vacation, as recorded in the search protocol. Vinnikov was later detained but currently remains free.
The decision to release Volodymyr Vinnikov on personal recognizance was made by the court on the initiative of the Office of the Prosecutor General. According to "Manifest 42," Vinnikov's father, Mykola Vinnikov, serves as a prosecutor in the Department of Supervision over Compliance with Laws in Criminal Proceedings at the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine," the "Manifest 42" statement reads.
The movement reminded that in the high-profile case of Ihor Mazepa, who was suspected of causing 7 million UAH in damages, the entrepreneur was detained at the insistence of the prosecution, and the bail was set at 700 million UAH.
During the protest near the Kyiv Court of Appeal, "Manifest 42" demanded the following from the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the Kyiv Court of Appeal:
1. Apply detention as a preventive measure to Prosecutor Volodymyr Vinnikov, who embezzled more than 4 million UAH seized in a criminal case.
2. Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the storage of seized assets and money, and report the results to the public.
3. Suspend Vinnikov's father, Mykola Vinnikov, who works as a prosecutor in the Department of Supervision over Compliance with Laws in Criminal Proceedings at the Office of the Prosecutor General, as he could influence the investigation in which his son is accused.
4. Carry out a comprehensive review of the Holosiivsky District Prosecutor's Office and hold accountable those who systematically pressure entrepreneurs with unjustified cases for corrupt purposes.
Protesters also addressed President Zelensky, demanding:
1. To reinstate a moratorium on searches and arrests of business accounts, except in cases related to national security.
2. If the Prosecutor General's Office continues to ignore the National Security and Defense Council's decision enforced by Presidential Decree 21/2024 ("On Urgent Measures to Ensure Economic Security During Martial Law") from January 23, 2024, within three months, raise the issue of personal responsibility of Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.
"Manifest 42," along with the NGOs "AutoMaidan" and "Free Generation," approached the Office of the Prosecutor General and submitted an appeal to Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, requesting a meeting with representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office within 10 days.
At 3:30 p.m., a meeting was held with Yevhen Sanytskyi, Head of the Second Department of Procedural Guidance in Pre-trial Investigations and Public Prosecution of the General Inspectorate of the Prosecutor General's Office, who assured the protesters of the impartiality of the investigation by the Prosecutor General's Office and promised to re-initiate the prosecutor's arrest of Vinnikov soon. Representatives of "Manifest 42" emphasized the need for a meeting every 10 days on the progress of the case.
On Monday, September 16, 2024, the investigator and prosecutor resubmitted a motion for Vinnikov's arrest to the court. The scandalous Pechersk District Court, with Judge Sokolov (known for the cases against Euromaidan activists), left the preventive measure "personal recognizance" unchanged and released the prosecutor-thief. The corrupt judiciary system is at work and protects its own. It should be noted that in Mazepa's case, involving an alleged loss of 7 million UAH, the investor was initially given a bail of 700 million UAH, which was later reduced to 350 million, but he was still arrested.
The protest actions will continue until the guilty prosecutors are punished.
The public movement "Manifest 42" was established in June 2023 with the aim of protecting Article 42 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to entrepreneurial activity.
According to their website, "Manifest 42" consolidates the efforts of citizens, organizations, businesses, and government bodies to ensure progress in three directions:
1. Creating infrastructure for the prompt response of authorities, media, the public, and the international community to the intensifying problem of raiding and other forms of business pressure.
2. Developing tools for public condemnation and personal accountability of participants in raider attacks and other forms of business pressure.
3. Achieving legislative restrictions on all forms of pressure from state law enforcement agencies and other government bodies on businesses not related to national security during martial law.
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