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WORLD NEWS Saturday 5 OctOber 2019

Trudeau’s main Ukraine reviews cases on owner

political rival has of firm that hired Biden son

American citizenship By YURAS KARMANAU and

NATALIYA VASILYEVA
By ROB GILLIES Associated Press
Associated Press ZHYTOMYR, Ukraine (AP)
TORONTO (AP) — Prime — Ukraine’s top prosecu-
Minister Justin Trudeau’s tor said Friday his office is
main political rival in elec- reviewing several cases re-
tions this month holds dual lated to the owner of a gas
Canadian-U.S. citizenship, company where the son of
but a spokesman for Con- former Vice President Joe
servative party leader An- Biden sat on the board, but
drew Scheer said Thursday he added that he wasn’t
that he recently embarked aware of any evidence
on the process of renounc- of wrongdoing by either
ing his American citizen- Biden.
ship. Conservative leader Andrew U.S. President Donald Trump In this handout photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential
Scheer and the Conserva- Scheer is seen following his had asked for an investiga- Press Office, Ruslan Ryaboshapka speaks to the media in Kyiv,
morning announcement at
tive party have criticized a volunteer fire department tion of Biden, his Democrat- Ukraine, Friday, Oct. 4, 2019.
previous party leaders for in Upper Kingsclear, N.B. ic rival, in a July 25 phone Associated Press
holding dual citizenship in Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. call with new Ukrainian was leading the Obama ruption cases. Asked about
the past. Associated Press President Volodymyr Zelen- administration’s diplomatic that by The Associated
Scheer said he visited the ment. “Andrew Scheer skiy at a time when millions dealings with Ukraine. Press, Zelenskiy said dur-
U.S. Embassy in Ottawa just has been fundamentally of dollars in U.S. military as- “We are now reviewing all ing an appearance in the
before the election began dishonest with Canadians sistance to the country was the cases that were closed Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr
in August to say he was about who he is.” being held up. That has or split into several parts that all cases under inves-
renouncing his citizenship In 2005, Scheer criticized prompted the U.S. Con- or were investigated be- tigation are “transparent.”
and is currently awaiting Canada’s then-governor gress to begin an impeach- fore, in order to be able “Chief prosecutors could
confirmation from the em- general, Michaelle Jean, ment inquiry against Trump. to rule to reverse those pull their efforts together,
bassy after filing paper- for having dual Canadian- The move by Prosecu- cases where illegal proce- we have all cases open,”
work. French citizenship. tor General Ruslan Ry- dural steps were taken,” Zelenskiy said.
Conservative party spokes- “He was hypocritical in his aboshapka was seen by Ryaboshapka said. Asked Zelenskiy and Ryaboshap-
man Cory Hann said Scheer attack on Michaelle Jean political analysts in Kyiv not if the prosecutors had evi- ka denied being under
and his sisters received U.S. and it is good that it is now as a new investigation to dence of any wrongdoing any foreign pressure over
passports as children but exposed,” said Nelson dig up dirt on the Bidens on Hunter Biden’s part, he corruption investigations,
Scheer has not renewed Wiseman, a political sci- but rather an attempt to said: “I have no such infor- although text messages
his as an adult. Scheer’s ence professor at the Uni- stay in the good graces of mation.” released Thursday in the
said his father was born in versity of Toronto. the White House at a time The Prosecutor General’s U.S. showed American
the U.S. and immigrated to But Wiseman said he didn’t when Ukraine needs West- Office said in a statement diplomats pushing for an
Canada. think Scheer’s dual citizen- ern help to deal with an that among the cases be- investigation of Biden’s
“It was always my intention ship will have much effect uprising by pro-Russia sepa- ing reviewed are 15 in son. House investigators
to do it,” he said. on public opinion, noting ratists. which Zlochevsky is men- released a cache of text
Scheer said he has filed U.S. many Canadians have Ryaboshapka told report- tioned. None of the Zlo- messages provided by Kurt
tax returns. The Globe and dual citizenship. ers that his office was “au- chevsky-related cases has Volker, the former special
Mail first reported the news Scheer also said Thursday diting” relevant cases that been revived yet, the of- U.S. envoy to Ukraine who
of his dual citizenship. that he opposes abortion were closed, dismissed or fice said. has stepped down.
“Over a million Canadians but would not reopen de- put on hold by his prede- They did not specify how In the messages, Volker en-
hold dual citizenship – it’s bate on Canada’s law al- cessors. many, if any, were related couraged an aide to Zel-
part of what makes Can- lowing abortions. He had Several of the cases under to Hunter Biden’s work at enskiy to conduct an inves-
ada great. But none have dodged the question after audit are related to Mykola Burisma. tigation linked to Biden’s
hidden that fact when run- being grilled by Trudeau Zlochevsky, owner of the Trump has said that the family in exchange for get-
ning to be Prime Minister,” at a debate Wednesday gas company Burisma that United States has an “ab- ting the president a high-
Liberal party spokeswoman night ahead of the Oct. 21 hired Hunter Biden in 2014, solute right” to ask foreign profile meeting to Washing-
Zita Astravas said in a state- parliamentary elections.q the same time his father leaders to investigate cor- ton with Trump.q