Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said on national television on Sept. 2 that Ukraine is working with European countries on extraditing corrupt officials who fled the country.
Maliuska explained that the extradition process is complex due to European court systems and Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.
Many corrupt officials who fled Ukraine have recruited lawyers who argue that it would be "extremely dangerous" to hand them over under such circumstances, Maliuska said.
"Therefore, in most cases, our foreign partners unfortunately refuse extradition for the time being. But we believe that this phenomenon, at least concerning top corruptors, is temporary."
According to Maliushka, such extraditions "will not happen on a huge scale" in the near future.
Ukrainian officials will prioritize extraditing "those who stole the most," and "the middle fish and other characters will follow suit later."
"After we adapt and adjust our system of receiving extradited citizens during the war, the indicators will certainly improve," Maliuska added.
Earlier on Sept. 2, Ukraine's oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky was put under arrest by Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district court, Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported. Kolomoisky was charged with fraud and money laundering.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
