Prosecutor general comments on UOC (MP) clarifications as for the investigation into Metropolitan Volodymyr’s dismissal

Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko expressed his surprise at the fact that the clergymen of UOC (MP) were opposing the investigation into the dismissal of Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) from the Church leadership.

He said it in an interview to LB.ua, commenting on the statement of the Synodal Information Department of the UOC (MP).

“It is a very sad statement,” Prosecutor General said.

“I do not understand how could the people who believed His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr to be the best head of the Church can object to the prosecution of those who actually caused his early death,” he added.

Lutsenko said that after prison, he underwent surgery in the same hospital where Metropolitan Volodymyr stayed before his death.

“We were staying at the same floor in a corridor. I came up to him – his physical condition was grave. I saw that this man was almost driven to early death. All the medical records were taken away from Drabynko... I reiterate: all the records of Volidymyr’s medical history were taken away from him. You know how a patient can be treated,” he stressed.

Lutsenko also said that according to the investigation it was Yanukovych who ordered former Interior Minister Zakharchenko to detain Metropolitan Volodymyr and Metropolitan Oleksandr (Drabynko) to force the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) to resign in favor of Yanukovych’s crony - Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanych). Changing the leadership of the Church, Yanukovych planned to use it for election 2015.

Note that the UOC (MP) was outraged by the fact that the General Prosecutor's Office was investigating into the cases concerning the dismissal of Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) from the Church governance and invites their hierarchs for inquiries. The clergymen called the need for such criminal proceedings "unjustified" and advised law enforcement to switch attention to other crimes.