The chief of the election campaign of candidate for U.S. president from the Republican Party Donald Trump, the former adviser to ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, Paul Manafort, in the period from 2007 to 2012 could get $12.7 million from Ukraine, the press service of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“The name of Paul Manafort was among the persons in the so-called “black ledger” of the Party of Regions, which at the request of V.Trepak [former first deputy chairman of the Security Service of Ukraine Viktor Trepak] is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. According to the lists, over $12.7 million has been allocated for the costs related to this person starting from November 20, 2007. The last record in the “book” on Manafort is dated October 5, 2012,” the press service said.
The NABU stressed the availability of Manafort’s name in the “black ledger” does not mean he actually received the funds, as the recipients column contains signatures of other people.
The bureau noted the pre-trial investigation into the case is continuing.
NABU Director Artem Sytnyk, in turn, also addressed this topic at a briefing in Kyiv on August 15.
“As for Manafort, there is this name among the persons of the so called “black ledger,” and according to these lists, a total of more than $12 million has been issued for the costs related to this person since November 20, 2007,” he said.
Earlier The New York Times, quoting the NABU, said that “handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych’s pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012.”
“Mr. Manafort’s name appeared 22 times in the documents over five years, with payments totaling $12.7 million. The purpose of the payments is not clear. Nor is the outcome, since the handwritten entries cannot be cross-referenced against banking records, and the signatures for receipt have not yet been verified,” reads the newspaper.
However, a lawyer for the Trump election campaign told the newspaper that Manafort had not received “any such cash payments.”
