Kornienko canceled ex-Pres Poroshenko’s business trip because of a letter he refuses to divulge

The international business trip of Ukraine’s fifth President and current MP, Petro Poroshenko, was canceled after the Parliament’s First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Kornienko received a letter "For Official Use Only."

Kornienko refuses to disclose the content of that letter.

Read also: ‘His permit was canceled’ – Ukraine’s border guards on preventing ex-Pres Poroshenko’s trip abroad

"He (Poroshenko - ed.) indicated that the main reason (of his trip) was participation in a non-parliamentary event, a party forum of the International Democratic Union, a community that probably includes European Solidarity. He wrote that there would also be some other high-level meetings," Kornienko said on national television on Dec. 1.

Internal principles allow participation in party events, but the content of the letter, which cannot be discussed, forced Kornienko to cancel Poroshenko’s business trip abroad.

Read also: MPs and officials barred from leaving Ukraine – MP Honcharenko

Poroshenko claimed that border guards did not let him leave Ukraine, accusing Ukrainian authorities of interfering with his business trip, in a Dec. 1 Telegram post. He said he didn’t believe that “the border guards acted on their own initiative,” and accused Ukrainian authorities of interfering preventing him from attending dozens of meetings scheduled in Poland and the United States.

Poroshenko was prevented from traveling abroad by border guards because his business trip permit was canceled, Ukrainian State Border Guard Service spokesman Andriy Demchenko told NV.

During martial law, MPs have the right to leave the country for business trips only with the appropriate permission.

Poroshenko’s business travel document, signed by the speaker of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament), was revoked by Kornienko, European Solidarity MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said, sharing a document to prove it.

Read also: Former president Poroshenko shares photos of adopted dog from Kherson

Three lawsuits and an appeal to the General Prosecutor's Office are being prepared, Poroshenko's lawyer Ilia Novikov said, adding that the lawyers will contest the actions of the border guards and Kornienko.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine