Monaco’s Prosecutor General has confirmed that the Principality is actively cooperating with Ukrainian authorities over the attempted assassination of businessman Vadym Iermolaiev and his family, in the first official statement from the office since the case took a dramatic international turn.
The communiqué, received by Monaco Life on Friday 7th August, comes after both Iermolaiev and reports quoting Ukrainian authorities raised concerns that Monaco was not participating in a joint investigation into the 29th June bombing.
It also follows the killing in Ukraine of Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman identified by Monaco investigators as the principal suspect in the attack. According to Ukrainian authorities, Berezovska was shot dead shortly after returning to the country, just days after the explosion in Monaco.
Monaco says investigation remains active
“The investigations relating to the attempted assassination by explosives committed on 29th June are continuing actively under the authority of the investigating judges, in liaison with the authorities of several countries, including Ukraine,” the Prosecutor General’s Office said.
The statement marks the first time Monaco’s prosecution authorities have publicly addressed the international dimension of the investigation since Ukrainian prosecutors announced Berezovska’s death and the arrests of two men suspected of killing her.
Among those detained is a serving officer of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, known as HUR, who Ukrainian prosecutors say confessed to Berezovska’s murder. A former law enforcement officer was also detained.
Joint investigation team under consideration
The Monaco prosecutor confirmed that the creation of a formal joint investigation team with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine is being considered.
“The establishment of a joint investigation team with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office is envisaged, but at this stage, cooperation through international letters rogatory is being prioritised,” the statement said.
International letters rogatory allow judicial authorities in one country to formally request evidence or investigative work from another. Monaco said requests for mutual legal assistance had been sent and received by both sides and were currently being executed.
Monaco seeks evidence from Ukrainian murder inquiry
According to the communiqué, the requests are intended to facilitate the exchange of evidence and documents gathered during the two countries’ respective investigations.
“They are aimed in particular at exchanging evidence and documents produced in the respective investigative proceedings, especially concerning the identity of the person who died in Ukraine and the statements made by the suspects in this intentional homicide,” the statement said.
The reference concerns Berezovska and the testimony reportedly provided by the two men detained over her killing. Ukrainian prosecutors previously said 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 added that “a visit by investigators from Monaco’s Sûreté publique has been requested in this context”.
Statement follows criticism over cooperation
The communiqué follows public claims that cooperation between Monaco and Ukraine had not progressed far enough.
In an open letter reported by Monaco Life in July, Iermolaiev called for a “complete, independent and transparent investigation” and said his family was seeking “the truth, protection and justice”. Reports in other media also quoted Ukrainian officials as saying attempts to establish a joint investigation had not received the necessary response from Monaco.
Friday’s statement confirms that a joint team has not yet been established, but says formal judicial cooperation is underway and that investigators from the Principality could travel to Ukraine.
Iermolaiev, his partner Anna and their 13-year-old son were seriously injured when an explosive device detonated outside their Monaco residence on 29th June. Investigators are continuing to establish who ordered the attack and whether others were involved.
See also:
Vadym Iermolaiev breaks silence after Monaco bombing: “Our survival was nothing short of a miracle”
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