Ex-Foreign Minister of Ukraine Kozhara Arrested on Murder Charges

25 March 2020 16:16

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara has been arrested on suspicion of intentionally killing the former head of Inter TV channel Serhiy Starytskyi.

This was announced by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashchenko.

The former government official was detained by the police. He is currently being taken to court where a pre-trial restriction will be elected for him.

The Kyiv region police reported the death of a man who was visiting the house of the former foreign minister in Mykola Azarov’s government just outside Kyiv on February 23. Starytskyi had gunshot wounds to his head, according to the police press service.

“ Jericho 941 PSL pistol, ammunition and cartridge case have been seized at the scene as evidence,” police informed at the time.

Media Detector reported that Starytskyi was the former head of Inter TV channel, CEO of Tonis TV Company and one of the owners of Atlantic Group Advertising Holding.

Kozhara held the post of Foreign Minister in Mykola Azarov's government under the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych in 2012-2014.

Whilst initially, the case was classified as a suicide with the owners allegedly being in a different room at the time of the shooting, later the National Police announced that it has been changed to “premeditated murder”.

The body of the deceased was sent for forensic examination to establish the circumstances of the event and criminal proceedings under part 1 of Art. 115 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine has been initiated.

Police confirmed the presence of three people in the house at the time: a couple and their guest: “All three were consuming alcohol. According to the woman, she was in another room when a guest shot himself in the head with the owner’s handgun.”