Politiciens Ukrainiens

Ukrainian interior minister taken drunk off airplane by police




6 May, 03:09 PM


Ukrainian
Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko and his 19-year-old son Alexander were
refused boarding on a Lufthansa Frankfurt-Seoul flight at Frankfurt
airport and detained by police due to their extremely drunken
condition. The younger Lutsenko had to be led away in handcuffs,
Deutsche Welle reports.

The Ukrainian official and his son arrived in Frankfurt from Kiev on Monday,
May 4. Their connecting flight to Seoul was scheduled for the evening.
After the captain of the flight determined that they were unfit to make the trip,
the Lutsenkos were denied boarding. Police were called to remove them after the elder
Lutsenko began to shout and threw his mobile telephone. The two were
held by German police until they sobered up, then they were allowed to
continue their journey.

The incident received little immediate press attention due to a
“conspiracy of silence” between German officials and the local press,
according to Siteua.org, but the German newspaper Bild broke the story
today. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry quickly denied the story, noting
for good measure that Lutsenko was not late for his meeting with the
South Korean prime minister.

German police then confirmed the information, however.

Lutsenko, who is a member of the Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense
bloc, was considered a potential candidate for the presidency in the
election later this year until he bowed out recently. He was the center
of scandal at the beginning of last year, when he struck Kiev Mayor
Leonid Chernovetsky after a National Security Council meeting,
Newsru.com reminded its readers.

When asked by Newsru.com if Lutsenko would face an enquiry by the
bloc, Supreme Rada member from Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense
Gennady Moskal commented, “If every MP who appeared on the streets
intoxicated were brought before the faction, it would cease to exist in
a month, since, as far as I know, there are no non-drinkers in the
faction.” Moskal was dismissive of the scandal. “I only know that, for
Germans, a mug of beer is drunkenness,” he claimed.