Monaco confirms Ukraine cooperation in bomb investigation but joint team yet to be formed

Monaco Confirms Cooperation with Ukraine in Bomb Investigation

The Prosecutor General of Monaco has confirmed that the Principality is actively cooperating with Ukrainian authorities in the investigation into the attempted assassination of businessman Vadym Iermolaiev and his family. The confirmation comes after concerns were raised that Monaco was not participating in a joint investigation into the June 29 bombing.

According to a statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the investigation is ongoing and being conducted in liaison with several countries, including Ukraine. The statement also confirms that a joint investigation team with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine is being considered, but has not yet been established.

Instead, cooperation is currently being conducted through international letters rogatory, which allow judicial authorities in one country to formally request evidence or investigative work from another. Requests for mutual legal assistance have been sent and received by both sides and are being executed.

The requests are intended to facilitate the exchange of evidence and documents gathered during the two countries’ respective investigations, particularly regarding the identity of Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman identified as the principal suspect in the attack, and the statements made by suspects in her murder. Berezovska was shot dead in Ukraine shortly after returning to the country, just days after the explosion in Monaco.

Two men, including a serving officer of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, have been detained in connection with Berezovska’s murder. According to Ukrainian prosecutors, the suspects had transferred money to Berezovska’s cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts, prompting investigators to examine whether they may also have been connected to the Monaco attack.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has also requested a visit by investigators from Monaco’s Sûreté publique to Ukraine as part of the investigation. The statement follows public claims that cooperation between Monaco and Ukraine had not progressed far enough, including an open letter from Iermolaiev calling for a “complete, independent and transparent investigation”.

Iermolaiev, his partner Anna, and their 13-year-old son were seriously injured in the June 29 bombing. Investigators are continuing to establish who ordered the attack and whether others were involved.

Article and image source: monacolife.net