Kiev, Ukraine. Nothing compares to the circus of corruption in Kiev as additional questions are poping up over Kiev IRS chief Roman Nasirov’s ability to post a $3.7 million dollar cash bond for his release on corruption charges.
The Director of Ukraine’s Internal Revenue Service, who is facing corruption charges, was recently released from jail after his family paid a record $3.7 million dollar bail fee. It was the highest sum in cash ever posted for an accused criminal in Ukrainian court history. Ukraine’s special anti-corruption prosecutor’s office announced online that Nasirov’s wife had paid his bail, meaning he would be allowed to walk free.
Roman Nasirov headed the Internal Revenue Service until his arrest in March, and is being investigated in one of the highest-profile corruption cases ever in Ukraine. His detention was particularly significant because he is a senior official linked closely to President Petro Poroshenko in a number of other ongoing criminal enterprises.
Nasirov was placed in pre-trial detention after Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) launched an investigation into alleged corruption between Poroshenko and Nasirov estimated at over $74 million dollars according to American FBI sources monitoring the case in Kiev for Washington.
The fact that the family of a civil servant managed to pay such a large cash bail of $3.7 million dollars so quickly has raised eyebrows in NABU and it announced on its Facebook page that NABU will now also investigate the legality of the payment.
At this time there is no actual corruption court functional to try Nazirov in. Under Ukrainian law, Judges have immunity from prosecution. Nasirov can literally come to court with a suitcase full of money, leave it with the Judge and leave with charges dismissed. Ukrainian lawyers explain this is why President Petro Poroshenko-Nasirov’s partner, who was not charged, is unconcerned by the events.