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BRAMA, December 19, 2000, 1:00pm EST


Matlid Publications (Eastern Economist) Raided by Ukrainian Tax Police

KYIV. On Friday evening, Dec. 15, Matlid Publications, Inc., publisher of Eastern Economist and EE Daily, announced that on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2000, the main bank account of their Kyiv subsidiary, Matlid Publications Ltd., was frozen and on Wednesday, Dec. 13, its premises were raided by the police of the Ukrainian State Tax Administration, its employees and visitors were harrassed and interrogated, and the company was threatened with complete "liquidation." Yet on Dec. 9, President Kuchma signed a decree about the proper procedure for the STA in inspecting media organizations, which includes mandatory prior publication of intent and informing the company's director and founder(s).

The Ukrainian company, which distributes Eastern Economist in Ukraine, has not previously been subjected to such hostile pressure from goverment agents. However, on Dec. 4, 2000, the weekly had published a strong editorial by the publisher, L.A. Wolanskyj, commenting on events around the release of taped conversations that apparently involved top Ukrainian officials in the disappearance of journalist Georgiy Gongadze. She also noted the lack of effective mechanisms for dealing with what may be the worst scandal since Ukraine became independent.

"This kind of reaction to the expression of opinion is not going to do anything to improve either Ukraine's business climate, nor its reputation and image abroad," Ms. Wolanskyj commented Dec. 15.

On Friday, Dec. 15, a formal complaint by MPL was accepted by the Prosecutor's Office of the Pechersk District [Rayon] in Kyiv. STA agents committed a slew of violations in freezing the subsidiary's account and raiding its premises without prior notice and without providing any basis for their actions. Meanwhile, the Dec. 18 issue of Eastern Economist has come out on schedule. Matlid Publications is working to re-establish normal business operations in Ukraine and intends to publish its next issue, as planned, on Jan. 8, 2001.

Launched in February 1994, Eastern Economist was the first English-language business weekly with a mission to provide objective and in-depth information on the business environment through economic, political, legal and other analysis. The weekly has been critical of consecutive Ukrainian administrations and governments for their inability to effectively improve the business climate in the country. Nevertheless, the publication was supportive of Ukraine's efforts towards reform and on Jan. 10, 2000, the US parent company held its first business conference on Ukraine in Washington DC.

EASTERN ECONOMIST has provided a daily headline news service for the public on BRAMA.com's UkraiNEWStand since 1997.


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