Murderer of journalist Gongadze arrested in Ukraine - general of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
A former general of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alyaksei Pukach searched for a long time has been arrested. The murderer of Georgii Gongadze has been found in Zhytomir Region, Ukraine, reports “Charter-97”. The ex-general has been delivered to Kiev and is being interrogated, informs “Ukrainian Pravda”. According to investigators, Pukach was in charge of the main Criminal Investigation Department of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affaires. He had the journalist shadowed and controlled three police officers who abducted Gongadze in 2000. Then the general throttled the victim and probably reburied his body in a forest.
Pukach was arrested in 2003 and was accused of having eliminated the documents proving that he had had the journalist shadowed. He was released with a written undertaking not to leave the country the same year and disappeared. Pukach was accused of the murder in 2005 when President Victor Yushchenko announced that the case was solved. He was announced wanted by the Interpol.
The murder of Gongadze provoked a big political scandal in Ukraine. A member of the President’s security Nikolai Melnichenko accused Leonid Kuchma (the President of the state at that time) of the murder.
Pukach was arrested in 2003 and was accused of having eliminated the documents proving that he had had the journalist shadowed. He was released with a written undertaking not to leave the country the same year and disappeared. Pukach was accused of the murder in 2005 when President Victor Yushchenko announced that the case was solved. He was announced wanted by the Interpol.
The murder of Gongadze provoked a big political scandal in Ukraine. A member of the President’s security Nikolai Melnichenko accused Leonid Kuchma (the President of the state at that time) of the murder.
