Read transcript from newly released recordings of selected conversations allegedly between President Leonid Kuchma and top officials as published at Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper on Jan. 26
rmer Security Service officer Mykola Melnychenko who purportedly made the recordings of Kuchma planning various questionable, and possibly criminal, activities with top aides.
Melnychenko delivered the recordings to Viktor Shyshkyn, the deputy head of the ad-hoc parliamentary committee investigating the disappearance of Georgy Gongadze, a journalist who went missing in September. The recordings were accompanied by a written statement from Melnychenko.
The first round of recordings also supposedly made by Melnychenko were made public in late November by Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz. Those recordings allegedly link President Kuchma and other politicians to Gongadze’s disappearance.
Original at: http://www.pravda.com.ua/?10126-5-8
On Jan. 26, people’s deputy and Batkivshchyna Party leader Oleksandr Turchynov said he recognized his voice in a recording purported to be of a conversation with Kuchma.
According to Turchynov, during his conversation with the president, he tried to persuade Kuchma to have Oleksandr Tymoshenko, the husband of the then Deputy Prime Minister for the energy sector Yulia Tymoshenko, released from arrest.
Oleksandr Tymoshenko was arrested late summer last year on charges of criminal activities in Ukraine’s energy sector as a top manager in a major Ukrainian energy supply company, the United Energy Systems of Ukraine.
Turchynov said that his conversation with Kuchma took place in September shortly after Oleksandr Tymoshenko was placed under arrest.
According to the Ukrainska Pravda report, it was Turchynov’s understanding from his conversation with the president, the release of Oleksandr Tymoshenko depended on the behavior of his wife, Yulia Tymshenko.
Below is an excerpt of that conversation as published by Ukrainska Pravda.
KPnews carries no responsibility for attributing the identities of the speakers as labeled by Ukrainska Pravda. KPnews also does not deny or confirm that the speakers are the ones stated in the transcripts below.
Kuchma: Yulia made one fundamental mistake. She entered the government and started to fight with the so-called oligarchs. She forgets that she is an oligarch herself.
Turchynov: I thought she had such an assignment that you gave her this right.
Kuchma: She has the right to establish order there. And I stand for tough order, but there are different, so to speak, measures in this connection. To establish an order – read the decrees, all the sittings of the National Security Council. There are very tough decisions, very tough decrees I always support measures. Tell me about the measure concerning, for example, any oblast company where the president opposed the proposal. There isn’t one. Read my speeches, I say there clearly, so to speak, understandably and clearly say. In this sphere I do not have either a father or brother. But when they start to fight between themselves, if you yourself are absolutely clean – this is one case, but if you walk and too much is being dragged behind you – then you are right: that group has a large base in all, so to speak, structures, practically, in any structure, through which they may exert pressure.
State Tax Administration head Mykhailo Azarov reports to Kuchma
Azarov: Well, concerning Naftohaz. I invited Bakai, as we agreed, showed him all these. My people did this, (people) I trust. I talked to Oleksandr Mykhailovych, found out how much of everything came in, and told him exactly the following: “Well, Ihoryok, at a minimum, you put in your pocket a hundred million, at least. I understand, of course, that I will not expose you. I give you two weeks, a month at maximum. (Here I showed him all the plans). Destroy all the papers that witness directly or indirectly about all your those… You did everything stupidly and senselessly.” And I showed that he was doing everything stupidly and senselessly.
Kuchma: Good.
Azarov: And now the case is moving….
Kuchma: Well, Mykola Yanovych, I told him: “Listen, my dear, we will not protect your ass forever.”
Azarov: He must have brains.
Kuchma: I agree with you. I agree with you.
Azarov: It was possible to do it wisely. But no, he did it in such a way that any stupid inspector could figure out the underhanded schemes. Even a stupid one.
Kuchma: Listen, there is impunity everywhere, everywhere where he was doing this, unpunished activities.
Azarov: Completely. So, we agreed with Bakai that he has to go to the hospital for some time. Except that I say this conditionally – for a week, two, a month. Well, it is possible to wait for a month and a half, this does not influence anything, but he understood what he has to do. The only thing I want is for you to give your support if he, dummy, will not do this, then I will … him, so to speak…
Kuchma: So, I will tell him tomorrow.
Azarov: Well, not tomorrow, let him come back to life…
Prosecutor-General Mykhailo Potebenko reports to Kuchma
Potebenko: Now there is such a case. So, you know that in November ’99 the case was started in Donetsk. This is so-called Salov, he is a lawyer. We started the case under article 127 – “Spreading false information about a president.” He was pushing all sorts of nonsense there. We arrested him.
Kuchma: Why so long?
Potebenko: But it’s correct, we arrested him in November, and sent him to court in November. November! The court has been procrastinating until March, and in March it ordered an expertise… This is not spreading incorrect information but an offense, an insult. And in what lies the difference? If it is spreading – you started [the case], we have the right not to question you. If it is an offense – you are a victim, we have to question you…
Kuchma: And who adopted this decision?
Potebenko: The Donetsk district court. I said: let’s submit the protest.
Kuchma: – I will, bl…, tear out their uterus
Kuchma and Donetsk governor Yanukovych
Kuchma: Hi, alive-and-well? Do you have the case on Salov. The lawyer.
Yanukovych: Yes. He made a fuss there.
Kuchma: Made a fuss. A case has been started against him for spreading false information.
Yanukovych: Yes.
Kuchma: Since December. Your court has been twisting it and returned and said: this must be viewed not as spreading but as an offense against the president. These are your lowlifes, your judges. I have to go to them and testify! That’s why you should take this judge, blyad, hang him by the balls, let him hang for one night.
Yanukovych: I understand. We will look into it.
Kuchma: Judges altogether, blyad…
Yanukovych: They are scum. The court’s chairman is not reliable. It is necessary to change him.
Kuchma: Well, you understand… to change, the system is still such that… I think now you will look into the case, so that he remembers us for the rest of his life.
Interior Minister Yuri Kravchenko reports to Kuchma about Cherkasy mayor Oliynyk
Kravchenko: Well, formally, we started a case. We can press him. He’s constantly fainting, he is being resuscitated.
Kuchma: There is Boyko, blyad, padliuka (underhanded bastard – Editor’s note) (Boyko – head of the Supreme Court – UP Editor’s note). I transferred the case to a different oblast, and the Supreme Court… Boyko cancelled this.
Kravchenko: Well, we have to decide something regarding Boyko. I think you have the plan, he must be dismissed.
Kuchma: As soon as a law is in place, I will remove him.
Kravchenko: He must be dismissed. He, well, you know, is the one who rules the judicial system. All of them solve problems. We follow every case until it is viewed by the court, and if we do not grip the judge in a vice, or if we don’t frighten him, it breaks.
Sumy governor Shcherban reports to Kuchma about the situation in the oblast
Shcherban: Well, and with regard to the joint stock company, Leonid Danylovych. I will now address the topic of one Sumy Khimprom. Well, this is a very interesting enterprise, very (interesting). It is the only one here that produces superphosphate. Neither Russia, nor the Western region has anything like this. So, it is unique. Well, it will be privatized, but since it will be privatized here, we are afraid that it will simply be pulled apart [by different people] and that’s it. The following proposition exists. I’ve never told you about it, I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t, maybe I should tell you this. But anyway, I should be grateful to you for the job, and so on. I would like someone from your people to participate in it – in this project. I am ready to give 25 percent, and give one golden share to anyone you say. And for any enterprise that is interesting, I will bring everything and give to whoever you say. Let it be left for children or grandchildren, anyway, this is life all the same Leonid Danylovych. It is being privatized all the same, but it is one thing if it is privatized and simply pulled apart, and another thing, if it works.
Kuchma: I wrote to Yushchenko, Bondar and you that privatization should be done with the agreement of governors. Did you get it?
Shcherban: No. I will look.
Kuchma: I (sent it) a few days ago.
Shcherban: We talked to ??? We will privatize it very wisely, with investments into it. The enterprise will work. (The point is) simply not to lose it.
Kuchma: Work.
Shcherban: I will also send a letter. And regarding Naftoprodukt – I will also give shares to whoever you say.
Read the following excerpts at: http://www.pravda.com.ua/?10126-8-8
Potebenko reports to Kuchma
Potebenko: Karmazin sent two-three cases from the corruption committee. The committee’s hearings will be on violation of the law. So, I was requested to come to the hearings. I gave him no answer. So he calls. I say: do you read the law? Yes. Then read… There it says that the Verkhovna Rada ensures control of that-that-that for the actions of the prosecutor’s office. That’s one. The second issue. Where is it said that I should visit committees? He took forty-seven minutes (from me). It would be better to listen to the prosecution. Forty-seven minutes.
I talked to him and talked, and then, bl…, in a tough way – you know, get lost and hung up. My deputy went to the sitting. The issue was reviewed there, but not very much. They say that when the prosecutor visited the committee he promised that he would communicate with us, but now he does not admit it. But I went to the faction. There were no committees then…
Ivan Stepanovych has gotten used to his role. The communists’ faction supports the budget already.
Kuchma: The budget?
Potebenko: Yes, they take part in the negotiations. And Natalka’s faction too…
Kuchma: The are eight people left with her.
Potebenko: (She) lost the cabinet, lost the car, Gongadze disappeared…
Kuchma: In Chechnya, the Chechens kidnapped him (laughs).
Additional transcripts of Kuchma talking
Shcherban reports to Kuchma about Khimprom
Shcherban: Regarding Khimprom. On Friday a commission will sit at Yekhanurov’s office. It is preparing materials for the Cabinet of Ministers so that a final decision can be made and to give Khimprom over to the oblast. The only thing here, if the opportunity comes up with Yekhanurov, to tell him that this decision should be adopted, it has been prepared anyway. And then we will complete everything like I said, we will complete things wisely.
Kuchma: Good.
Kuchma speaks to Potebenko about Ternopil oblast
Kuchma: I would like to talk to Potebenko via mobile or direct phone… Greetings, Mykhailo Oleksiyovych. There is the Zbruyevsky district in Ternopil oblast. Zborivsky, I mean. Zborivsky district. The head of the administration worked as the director of a poultry farm. Now the prosecution raises the issue of his misuse of Hr 12,000, so now there’s a scandal throughout the whole district, and so on… No, 12,000. The district is growing, they say… You will give (it) to me afterwards. But for now, decrease their agility.
State Security Service chief Leonid Derkach reports on the interception of Yulia Tymoshenko’s conversations
Derkach: I haven’t seen such a symbiosis – Stepan Khmara, Hryhory Omelchenko and Yulia. (reads) and there’s another woman… Well-well-well!
Kuchma: Look how he talks to her, like to a lover.
Derkach: My God, when one looks at all this, how it…, like worms.
Kuchma: Omelchenkina… I greet you.
Derkach: Oho!, read further down.
Kuchma: Well-well-well. This kind…
