The United States imposed sanctions against the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of Ukraine

The administration of US President Joe Biden has imposed sanctions against a number of individuals and organizations around the world. Andriy Portnov, the former deputy head of the administration of ex-President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych, was on this list. He is accused of bribery and illegal influence on court decisions. This is stated on US Department of the Treasury website.

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Who is Portnov and what did he do

According to the United States, thanks to bribery, Andrey Portnov has established extensive ties with the judicial and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. Widely known as a judicial mediator, Portnov has been accused of using his influence to buy access and make decisions in Ukrainian courts, and undermine reform efforts.

The US authorities claim that as of 2019, Portnov has taken steps to control the Ukrainian judicial system, influencing the relevant legislation; he sought to appoint loyal officials to the highest judicial office and uphold judicial decisions. In mid-2019, Portnov colluded with a senior Ukrainian government official to form the country's highest legal institutions in his own interests and to influence the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. In addition, Portnov was implicated in an attempt to influence the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

Portnov is accused of corruption, including misappropriation of state assets, expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption associated with government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, and bribery.

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The Administration of the Department of Finance for Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also imposed sanctions on the Andrey Portnov Foundation due to the fact that this organization is controlled by a corrupt ex-official.

Portnov fled Ukraine on February 22, 2014. A few days later, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine demanded that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security Service of Ukraine detain Portnov, and in March of the same 2014, the EU and Canada added him to the list of high-ranking Ukrainian officials against whom financial sanctions are being imposed, writes Voice of America.

It is known that in May 2014, Andrey Portnov received a temporary residence permit in Russia.

Also on the "black list" were: El Salvador's Prime Minister Martha Carolina Resinos de Bernal, who, according to the US Treasury Department, led a corruption scheme to provide contracts to combat the coronavirus pandemic; Manuel Victor Martinez, a senior official from the Ministry of Health of Guatemala; two South Sudanese construction companies; former Liberian Senator Jormi Johnson; two former Angolan government officials, Leopoldino Fragoso do Nascimento and Manuel Elder Vieira Diaz Junior, accused of embezzling billions of dollars from the state treasury.

Why did the US impose sanctions

Today, December 9, International Anti-Corruption Day, OFAC imposed sanctions against fifteen individuals and entities in several countries in Central America, Africa and Europe.

“Corrupt practices drain resources from citizens, undermine public trust, and threaten the progress of those who fight for democracy,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. “We are committed to standing up to those who seek personal gain at the expense of the people who trust them to serve, especially in the midst of a global pandemic.” We are taking these actions today to expose corrupt leaders and bring them to justice.”

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International Day Against Corruption has been celebrated annually on 9 December since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) on 31 October 2003 to raise public awareness of the importance of anti-corruption initiatives in combating and combating corruption ...

Currently, the UNCAC includes 189 parties. Corruption allows attackers to abuse their authority and gain unfair benefits at the expense of others. Fighting corruption is one of the pillars of the Summit of Democracies because it is a critical part of building trust.

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