PGO resumes investigations against former presidential bodyguard Melnychenko

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has submitted materials in a criminal case pending against the former bodyguard of ex-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma for further investigation, according to the PGO web-site.

According to the web-site, “Prosecutor General's Office cancelled the indictment in the case of ex-major of the State Guard Service Mykola Melnychenko on charges of disclosing state secrets and abuse of power, and criminal proceedings resumed”. Thus, Melnychenko stands accused of disclosing state secrets.

The procedural decision is based on the fact that “during reading the materials of preliminary investigation, in line with the requirements of Article 290 of the Criminal Procedural Code of Ukraine (2012), Melnhychenko provided new evidence in the case, which should be checked by the investigator”.

The case was returned to the investigation stage.

The Ukrainian authorities closed the investigation into the criminal case against Melnychenko in late December and submitted the indictment to the prosecutor general's office for approval.

Melnychenko became widely known after he recorded the voice of an individual who sounded like Kuchma giving orders in the presidential office to "settle affairs" with journalist Georgy Gongadze, whose beheaded body was later found in the Kiev Region in autumn 2000.