Klymenko Commented on Possible Bribery by Khimprom – Pidozra

The name of Ihor Klymenko appeared in conversations of participants in the large-scale special operation “Carthage.”

Former Minister of Internal Affairs, and now Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Ihor Klymenko stated that he did not receive proposals from the defendants in the NABU–SAP “Carthage” operation. In recordings of their conversations they discussed the possibility of making a deal with the minister so that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not initiate a ban on new formulas of psychotropic substances. About this Klymenko said during a closed meeting with journalists, at which there was present “Glavkom.”

According to Klymenko, no one attempted to make a deal with him. He also emphasized that he does not see people in either his close circle or in his distant circle who could influence him.

“I don’t know who is being talked about at all, because there aren’t any people who could press on me. Moreover, not from my close circle, not from my distant circle, who could influence someone on me, there were no such people. Nobody approached me at all. I had no such conversations with anyone,” noted Klymenko regarding the alleged attempt to bribe the defendants in “Carthage.”

The name of Ihor Klymenko appeared in conversations of participants in the large NABU–SAP operation “Carthage.” The head of the transnational drug cartel “KhimProm,” Yehor Burkin, known by the nickname “The Mexican,” discussed the possibility of bribing the then Minister of Internal Affairs. The goal was to prevent the inclusion of new chemical formulas of narcotic substances in the prohibited list.

According to the head of the detective department of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Oleksandr Abakumov, the leaders of the drug syndicate tried to find a way to block decisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that could threaten the activity of the U420 store network. Through these outlets, according to the investigation, narcotic substances were sold under the guise of souvenir products.

“Pressure on drugs, and on the government resolution, what they meant — they pressed, you see? There is a resolution, U420 — none,” summed up the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

It should be recalled that Ukraine is moving toward systemic control not only of individual psychoactive substances but also of their derivatives. This should make it impossible for drug traffickers to change the chemical formula of a prohibited substance and sell it as a new, formally non-prohibited drug.

Earlier it was reported that law enforcement authorities uncovered the activity of the drug group “KhimProm,” one direction of which was a network of stores under the U420 brand. During more than 280 searches in Kyiv and 10 regions, property and products worth more than 75 million UAH were seized.