Former Defense Minister Reznikov braces for greater scrutiny of his tenure
It is no coincidence that former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov decided to resume his legal practice, as it complicates the task of law enforcement investigating his ministerial tenure, Yuriy Nikolov, editor of the Nashi Hroshi project, told NV Radio on Jan. 21.
To date, no Ukrainian law enforcement agency has made formal legal claims against Reznikov personally. For example, the former minister is not involved in the case of inflated food procurement prices for the Ukrainian military — the ultimate cause of Reznikov’s resignation.
"This case is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau," Nikolov said.
“It's been going on for a year now, and there is no end in sight.”
Only Reznikov’s former subordinates are persons of interest in the investigation of several procurement corruption cases at the Defense Ministry. Nevertheless, he decided to play it safe, Nikolov suggested.
"I think Reznikov understands that accusations [against him] will arise sooner or later, and renewing his legal practice license means that he is now making it harder for law enforcement to get to him," the journalist said.
“Opening a case against a lawyer is the prerogative of the Prosecutor General; it's not so easy [to do].”
Reznikov suspended his license to practice law in March 2020, immediately after his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister.
The Ukrainian parliament dismissed Reznikov as Defense Minister on Sept. 5, 2023. He had been heading the department since November 2021.
The National Bar Association of Ukraine renewed Reznikov's legal practice license on Jan. 16.
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