“The Handziuk Case” — “Leaked”

“The Handziuk Case” — “Leaked”

This was done by Security Service head Ivan Bakanov and Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.

27 April the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had completed the pre-trial investigation in the case of Handziuk’s murder and that the ultimate mastermind is the head of the Kherson Regional Council, Vladyslav Manger.

The Security Service of Ukraine, under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General, completed the pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings on suspicion that the head of the Kherson Regional Council, Vladyslav Manger, and the assistant-consultant to a deputy of the same council, Oleksiy Levin, organized the attack on Kateryna Handziuk.

This was announced by SBU head Ivan Bakanov, quoted by the agency’s press service: "All materials are ready, SBU officers professionally did their work and collected the evidentiary base that will allow the prosecution’s position to be clearly proven in court. I hope this case will be given priority consideration. The perpetrators and masterminds of Kateryna Handziuk’s murder will receive deserved punishment."

According to the SBU report, according to the investigation’s version, Manger is suspected of having, in prior collusion with Levin, organized the infliction of severe bodily injuries on Kateryna Handziuk, which led to her death.

Manger and Levin are suspected of committing crimes provided for in part 3 of article 27, part 2 of article 28 and part 2 of article 121 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. SBU investigators informed the suspects, their defenders, the victims and their representatives about the completion of the pre-trial investigation.

All parties have been granted access to the investigation materials. After the defense reviews the materials of the criminal proceeding, they will be sent to court for substantive review.

* * *

“Hastily completed investigation”: position of the lawyer for the deceased’s family, Masi Nayyem (Masi Nayyem):

* * *

The investigation is falling apart – father of the deceased, Viktor Handziuk

A month ago prosecutors tried to extend the investigation deadlines in this case because the investigation had not yet secured the full body of evidence. Currently some investigative actions have not been carried out, and some witnesses remain uninterrogated. This is what the father of the deceased activist, Viktor Handziuk, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

In his opinion, the investigation is falling apart, and the reasons for this should be asked of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who took personal responsibility for Kateryna Handziuk’s case.

"Their briefing was painful to watch, it was embarrassing to watch, it was disgusting to watch. Many issues remain unresolved: Levin has not testified, Pavlovskyi has not testified, Hordieiev and Hryshchuk are not mentioned, there are no comments regarding those police officers who were undermining the investigation," says Viktor Handziuk, quoted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"In fact," he continues. "The Prosecutor General’s Office did what Manger’s lawyers expected. That is, to pass an unfinished case to the court—this removes responsibility from them, removes responsibility from the Security Service of Ukraine, and shifts everything to the court. And for the court there will clearly be insufficient evidence. I don’t know why this happened. I don’t want to think that Manger somehow managed to influence the Prosecutor General’s Office. I consider this a crime. A crime—to pass everything to the court in this state."

* * *

Activists were outraged by this decision and voiced their complaints. In particular, they are dissatisfied with the decision to complete the pre-trial investigation.

Activists of “Who Ordered Katya Handziuk” believe that the Prosecutor General’s Office "leaked" the case into the investigation of the activist’s murder; in their view, the crime’s mastermind Vladyslav Manger reached an agreement with the prosecutor’s office at the highest level.

This was reported by the Facebook page “Who Ordered Katya Handziuk”:

"Friends, together with you we did a lot to punish all those involved in Kateryna Handziuk’s murder. Today the case was leaked."

"We are being fed shit again... Volodymyr Zelensky promised to imprison Katya Handziuk’s killers. Zelensky brought Iryna Venediktova to power, who in just 40 days destroyed the case and now acts in the interests of the masterminds and organizers of Katya’s murder."

"We will demand explanations from the president." Activists reported that they will hold a rally at 19.00 o’clock near the Presidential Office. In their view, the guilty party managed to reach an agreement with Prosecutor General Venediktova and the case was "leaked."

In particular, they are dissatisfied with the decision to complete the pre-trial investigation because:

There are still three months left of the investigation. Investigative actions and covert investigative actions are unfinished. They did not even complete those investigative actions that were initiated by the victims and whose motions had been granted.

Transferring the case to court "as is" (without collecting additional evidence) has long been requested by the lawyers of one of the masterminds of the murder—Vladyslav Manger. They are thus counting on an acquittal verdict;

The Prosecutor General’s Office supported Manger’s lawyers’ demands;

Organizer Oleksiy Levin still did not give testimony and declared refusal to cooperate with the investigation;

Pavlovskyi also did not give any testimony.

Activists believe that Manger paid Levin and his relatives for their silence.

They also claim that Manger reached an agreement with the Office of the Prosecutor General at the highest level: "Otherwise it’s hard to explain why the investigation would neglect the 3-month period remaining for gathering evidence and cut off investigative actions."

Additionally, activists are dissatisfied that there is still no motion in court to remove Manger from his post, since once "he failed to appear in court, and then presented a medical certificate from a hospital subordinate to regional authorities, of which he is an unremoved representative."

There is also no suspicion against the law enforcement officer who told Levin to flee the country. That case is with the State Bureau of Investigation.

During the briefing there was no information about the involvement or non-involvement in the crime of former head of the Kherson Regional State Administration Andriy Hordieiev and former deputy head of the Kherson RSA Yevhen Ryshchuk.

* * *

Activist Olga Khudetska detailed what should alarm the ordinary viewer when watching the briefing about the sudden transfer of Katya Handziuk’s case to court:

What should alarm the ordinary viewer when watching the briefing about the sudden transfer of Katya Handziuk’s case to court?

1. The prosecution fought in court for a long time and to death to extend the investigation deadlines for a few more months.

It’s clear why—many investigative actions still needed to be conducted with the newly brought-in Levin, and family representatives had also filed motions for a number of investigative actions.

And then suddenly, having barely used up a month of the additional time won in those deadly fights (three months remain) — the investigation decides to urgently transfer the case to court "as is." During quarantine, yes.

2. For those who missed it—the initiative “Who Ordered Katya Handziuk” wrote that this is precisely what the emissaries from the suspects were seeking in behind-the-scenes agreements with the Prosecutor General’s Office. Namely—to transfer it as is, without testimonies from Pavlovskyi, Levin, without additional investigative actions, without completing covert investigative actions, and all of that. More details here: https://cutt.ly/Vya5Zv1

3. The explanation for the suddenness—"there were many complaints about the long investigation, and we decided that the case must be investigated within reasonable timeframes." We—meaning the prosecution. Which a month ago fought in court to extend the deadlines by another 4 months, and considered such an extension completely reasonable. And now it suddenly ceased to be reasonable, right during the quarantine. And the prosecutors immediately labeled questions about the sudden transfer of the case to court as "media manipulation."

4. In the video of the indictment being handed over, Manger’s joyful nod had to be cut mid-flight so as not to incriminate him. His lawyer cannot hide his joy and writes happy comments on the initiative “Who Ordered Katya Handziuk” page, saying that transferring the case to court now is "excellent."

5. At least three times during the briefing prosecutors flatly said that the materials are sufficient to send to court, to conclude the investigation, to prepare the indictment. And not once did they say that this would be sufficient to prove guilt and obtain a guilty verdict in court. And they still have to prove it, right. But nothing—one can always blame a crappy court for the result."

6. Questions from journalists about the Kherson police chief, who warned Levin to flee, and about illegal logging from journalists sounded like "at what stage is such-and-such a case." Prosecutor Romanchuk responded only which agency does not even investigate it—"checks the stated facts." Like saying that the matter of policemen warning Levin is being investigated by the SBI is an answer to the question at what stage that case is in the investigation.

7. Questions on the merits of Katya’s case during the briefing were met with answers about investigation secrecy. This is nonsense after an indictment has been announced and the accused have been given full access to all investigation materials.

So now the investigation knows the materials, the prosecution does too, the accused do too, their lawyers too. So from whom are they keeping the materials secret? From the deceased’s family and society. A normal investigation secrecy?

8. At the briefing it was emphasized several times that the group of perpetrators received 3–6 years of imprisonment. That means the first of them will be released from prison already in a year. The others will soon follow. This after a murder carried out in an especially torturous manner. What the prosecutors omitted to say is that such short terms were obtained because the perpetrators went for a plea deal. Without their testimonies, we were told, there would be nothing.

9. And?? Where are their testimonies?

10. And if they don’t exist—where is the review of the plea deal and reasonable terms? (The law provides for this if the accused do not fulfill the deal)

11. Where is Pavlovskyi’s testimony? There is no verdict against him yet, but a deal he concluded with the investigation was also sent to court. Behind the family’s back. Without their permission. Because he was simply separated into a separate proceeding in which victims were not identified, and therefore there was no one to ask permission from. Clever? A proper prosecution? This despite the fact that his real role was consciously downplayed to "failure to report a crime," although, according to Katya’s friends, he was an organizer on the same level as Levin.

12. The deal with Pavlovskyi was also justified by claiming that without his testimony nothing could be done. And what do you think? He did not give testimony. No one withdrew his deal from the court (though it has not yet been considered; the court in Odesa has been postponed 10 times, to which Katya’s father and her friends travel each time).

13. Where is the motion in court to remove Manger from his post? I remind you, he once failed to come to court and then presented a medical certificate from a hospital subordinate to regional authorities, of which he is an unremoved representative.

14. Where is the suspicion against the cop who told Levin to flee?

15. Where is the open proceeding about the transfer from Manger to Levin’s relatives of funds for silence? Information about this was published online and in the media, which is grounds for opening proceedings. Where is it?

16. And finally, throughout the briefing prosecutors made a concerted effort to act as if there is no place in this story for Hordieiev and Ryshchuk.

This is what is wrong with this briefing, with this prosecution and with this Venediktova.

at 19:00 people march to the Presidential Office demanding explanations

* * *

About a hundred activists from the initiative “Who Ordered Katya Handziuk” came to the Presidential Office in a protest demanding explanations from Volodymyr Zelensky and the dismissal of Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova over the completion of the pre-trial investigation in Kateryna Handziuk’s case.

This was reported by Hromadske.

Protest participants were outraged by the completion of the pre-trial investigation, which they consider premature, since the prosecution and the SBU still have 3 months.

In the activists’ view, this indicates the “leaking of the case” by the new Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and benefits the defense, since they will be able to claim insufficient evidence.

At the rally activists lit flares and chanted “Venediktova resign” and “Who Ordered Katya Handziuk.”

Presidential spokesperson Yulia Mendel and prosecutor in the case Andriy Seniuk came out to the protesters. Mendel assured that she heard what the activists were dissatisfied with and added that there has been no reaction from the president yet.

Photo: Nazariy Mazilyuk

Photo: Nazariy Mazilyuk

After several minutes of verbal exchanges with prosecutors, the activists went to the house where Venediktova allegedly lives to meet with her.

Photo Roman Sinicyn: “Citizen, hello. Now this will accompany you constantly, together with Zelensky.”

On the pavement in front of the entrance they wrote "Here lives a friend of Handziuk’s killers." After that the rally ended.

To be continued.

Argument