US Department of Justice aims to seize over $200 million from Ukraine's ex PM Lazarenko

According to the Voice of America, Mary Butler, Chief of the International Unit of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery, reminded that Lazarenko was convicted in the Northern District of California, serving about six years in prison. However, the charges he was convicted of were much narrower than those under the US Department of Justice's jurisdiction.

The Department of Justice is working to seize over $200 million of Lazarenko’s assets, which have been frozen in various countries. These legal battles have been ongoing for roughly 20 years.

“The case isn't over yet. But I'm pleased to say we've reached another milestone that brings us closer to a final forfeiture decision. Then Mr. Lazarenko can appeal all he wants. But we're still moving forward. It could be more than $200 million. That's a huge amount of money and involves a lot of sensitive issues," Butler stated.

Pavlo Lazarenko, who served as Ukraine's Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997, was detained in the USA in February 1999 after fleeing Ukraine. In 1998, the Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case against him for embezzlement of state property on a large scale. He was also wanted by Switzerland at the time.

In 2009, a US court found Lazarenko guilty of laundering $22.85 million, sentencing him to nearly eight years in prison. He was released in 2012. In Switzerland, he received a 1.5-year suspended sentence, alongside the confiscation of money and fines.

In 2008, Lazarenko was named one of the ten most corrupt officials in the world by the World Bank.

Ukraine has already received $6.5 million from Switzerland from the funds stolen by Lazarenko.