A decade-long case against $271 million in assets allegedly stolen by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko is close to wrapping up.
A joint motion filed in federal court in Washington DC on August 13 states that attorneys representing the U.S. government have agreed on "the general contours of a settlement" with Lazarenko, who served six years out of a nine year sentence on charges of money laundering, extortion, and wire fraud, a court document reviewed by the Kyiv Post reveals.
"The Parties are now in the process of drafting a settlement agreement which, once signed, should result in the conclusion of this matter," the document reads, petitioning a U.S. federal judge to indefinitely delay all current deadlines in the case.
Read alsoU.S. promises to return to Ukraine funds stolen by ex-PM Lazarenko – Lutsenko
"Rather than expend additional resources attempting to resolve the remaining factual and legal issues in this matter, the Parties would like to focus their attention on drafting a settlement agreement," the motion says.