USA: WASHINGTON: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT LEONID KUCHMA VISIT

(21 Feb 1996) Eng/Russian/Nat

The Ukrainian president has denied that his government supplied aircraft to the Colombian Cali drug cartel.

On an official visit to Washington, President Leonid Kuchma said that it was a private Ukrainian company which leased the aircraft.

Kuchma added that he had ordered an investigation in the matter, but also believed the Colombian government was unaware of the sale.
President Leonid Kuchma was on an official visit to the U-S on Wednesday and met his counterpart President Bill Clinton.

Kuchma has won praise from Western leaders for his commitment to market reform and for his role in making Ukraine nuclear-free.

However he was questioned about his country's alleged sale of aircraft to Colombia's notorious Cali drug cartel.

The Ukrainian president strongly denied the charges.

SOUNDBITE: (Speaking through translator)
"First of all it was owned not by the state but by a company. And I think that the aircraft of not only the Ukraine but all other countries are used on the same basis all over the world, they are used on the basis of leasing. And I think the Colombian side should take all the responsibility of that. In fact I have asked for an inquiry on that issue although I don't think there was any blame on either side."
SUPER CAPTION: Leonid Kuchma, Ukraine president

The Los Angeles Times had reported that Ukraine's state-owned aircraft industry was engaged in a series of business deals with the Colombian cocaine cartel, selling and leasing a small fleet of Soviet-designed military cargo planes to drug traffickers.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...