Yuriy Kravchenko

Yuriy Fedorovych Kravchenko (Ukrainian: Юрій Федорович Кравченко; March 5, 1951 – March 4, 2005) was a Ukrainian General of Internal Service and statesman, serving as the country's Minister of Internal Affairs (1995—2001). In 2000, while he was serving as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Kravchenko became directly involved in the murder case of Georgiy Gongadze and the subsequent "Cassette Scandal." Kravechenko later was the governor of the Kherson Oblast (2001—2002) and Head of the State Tax Administration of Ukraine (2002—2003).

Yuriy Kravchenko Юрій Кравченко
Kravchenko in 2000
Director of MVS in Kirovohrad Oblast
In office 1989–1992
Director of Criminal Militsiya (MVS)
In office 1992–1994
State Customs Committee of Ukraine
In office 1994–1995
Preceded by	Eduard Miroshnychenko (acting)
Succeeded by	Leonid Derkach
Minister of Internal Affairs (MVS)
In office 1995–2001
Preceded by	Volodymyr Radchenko
Succeeded by	Yuriy Smirnov
Governor of Kherson Oblast
In office 2001–2002
Preceded by	Oleksandr Verbytskyi
Succeeded by	Anatoliy Yurchenko
State Tax Administration of Ukraine
In office 2002–2004
Preceded by	Mykola Azarov
Succeeded by	Fedir Yaroshenko
Personal details
Born	March 5, 1951 Oleksandriia, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died	March 4, 2005 (aged 53) near Kyiv, Ukraine
Occupation	Ukrainian police officer and statesman

Biography

Born in Oleksandriia, Kirovohrad Oblast, Kravchenko attended the Oleksandriia Industrial Technical School from 1966 to 1970. In October 1970, he became an eletrictian and worked in the Kirovohrad Oblast. Served in the Soviet Army from 1970 to 1972. From 1974 until 1978, he studied at the Higher School of the MVD of the USSR, and afterwards worked as a police inspector in the Kirovohrad Oblast. From 1981 to 1986, he worked in several supervisory positions. In April 1986, Kravchenko became the head of the department for combating drug trade in the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the MVD of the Ukrainian SSR. In September 1989, he became the head of the MVD regional directorate in the Kirovohrad Oblast.

Gongadze Case and Cassette Scandal

On 29 January 2013 a Ukrainian court ruled Oleksiy Pukach had murdered the journalist Georgiy Gongadze on orders from Kravchenko, who was seeking a career promotion.[1]

Death

Kravchenko was found dead in his apartment near Kyiv on March 4, 2005. He was at that time called as a witness in the murder case of Gongadze. It was claimed that Kravchenko committed suicide. Some news reports[2][3] claim that he was shot twice in the head.[4]

See also

• Leonid Kuchma
• Ukraine without Kuchma
• Politics of Ukraine
• Government of Ukraine
• Multiple gunshot suicide

References

1. Court sentences Pukach to life for murdering Gongadze, disregards claims against Kuchma, Lytvyn, Kyiv Post (29 January 2013)
   Ukraine police officer accuses ex-president after being jailed for life, Reuters (29 January 2013)
   Gongadze killer pointed on Kuchma and Lytvyn. LIGABusinessInform. 2013-1-29
2. Untimely Deaths in Ukraine; Strange suicides and car crashes among foes of the former regime bring calls for investigations by Kim Murphy, L.A. Times (March 13, 2005)
3. Gongadze murder suspect's trial should be open to public, Committee to Protect Journalists (August 16, 2011)
4. Naboka, Marichka (2015-03-08). "Suicide Or Homicide? In Ukraine, Old-Guard Officials Dying Mysteriously". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2015-12-31.

External links

• (in Ukrainian) The Key Witness in the Gongadze Case Dead (March 2005 Ukrayinska Pravda article on the death of Kravchenko, analysing also his role in Gongadze case - includes fragments of the Melnychenko recordings featuring Kravchenko)