The 2020 high court trial of Alex Salmond, resulted in a jury finding him innocent of all charges of sexual harassment.
The Scottish public was outraged at the glaring incompetence of the Scottish Government leadership, Legal Services, Civil Servants and the Police Force and demanded an independent judicial review, in public, over the conduct an internal inquiry into two allegations of sexual harassment against Alex Salmond, that resulted in him being paid £500.000.
Alex Cole Lib/Dem MSP and Committee member
Admitting his membership of the Parliamentary Inquiry probably raised his profile across Scotland and assisted his successful bid for the leadership of his party he said: “but whether that was good or bad I don’t know but I regret my involvement in it.”
Of the inquiry he said: “It was awful, it was tawdry. It was it was full of smoke and heat, and not a lot of light, and at the end of the day, I don’t think we achieved a great deal.
I think that it probably harmed and upset the women at the heart of it more, even more, if that’s possible. And I, I regret my involvement in it… I would rather not have been part of it.
It was high pressure. I mean, it took up so much oxygen, so much time. But also, I’d been supporting a complainer privately who approached me, and I could see what every twist and turn of it was doing to her.
And I thought, well, that must be happening to all of the women at the heart of this. And you know, I think when you realise that you’re locked into this process, which is taking twists and turns and subject to massive media speculation and intrigue and you see privately the visceral human cost of that… it was just… it was awful. I realised quite quickly what it was doing to people. And that takes its toll.”
Asked if he believed Alex Salmond should be the leader of the Alba party he said: “No. I think that’s the worst part of it. I mean, he is a man desperate to clear his reputation.
I’m not sure that he deserves that opportunity, because irrespective of court judgements, and the rest of it, this is the man who has admitted some terrible, terrible behaviour and caused a lot of upset and heartache to women who deserve to be able to move on with their lives.”
Comment:
Cole-Hamilton, who before the start of the inquiry declared himself to be an unbiased member of the Committee revealed through his aggressive questioning that his agenda was entirely biased against Alex Salmond.
A puzzle for observers until following the publication of the wishy washy conclusion of the inquiry he revealed he had been representing one of the complainants whose allegation of sexual harassment against Alex Salmond had been found, in a court of law, to be a fabrication of the truth. And Cole-Hamilton spoke with a malicious forked tongue. Alex Salmond never uttered any of the words Hamilton attributed to him.
The Ukraine is being dismantled to satisfy the greed of the rich
President Zelensky in his campaign for the Presidency, declined to align himself with any political policies in preference for popularist addresses to the public in which he said that he represented a fresh start for Ukraine and he would end the graft, criminal influence and power of corrupt politicians and oligarchs who illegally transferred the wealth of the nation to personal off-shore accounts and properties all over the world. He failed to follow through on his rhetoric indeed the reverse is true.
Zelensky and the rich have got richer and poor Ukrainians are being sacrificed on the false honour of dying in their thousands to protect the State.
Oligarch’s and millionaires Control the wealth of Ukraine.
The top 5 richest Ukrainians in 2021 were:
Rinat Akhmetov, $11.54 billion: The ironworks and energy tycoon was born in the Donbas and is the country’s wealthiest person. His assets in the metallurgical sector have shown excellent results this year on surging steel and iron ore prices. Strong demand for coal and electricity have added weight to his fortune.
Viktor Pinchuk, $2.6 billion: Assets span from steel works to media, saw his net worth almost double in 2021 from $1.4 billion to $ 2.6 billion. Interpipe, his main business asset which produces steel pipes and railway wheels, is worth $500 million. He also owns Star Light Media Holding, which controls nearly 20% of Ukraine’s television market.
A recent article, “Survey: Western public backs stronger support for Ukraine against Russia,” notes it was commissioned by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and Yalta European Strategy, which Pinchuk founded; without giving mention to his foundation being a large contributor to the “Atlantic Council”, donating up to $500,000 annually.
Between 2009 And 2013 including the period when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, the “Clinton Foundation” received at least $8.6 million from the Victor Pinchuk Foundation who is a proponent of closer ties between Ukraine and the European Union.
Sturgeon claims she speaks for Scots with her warning to Putin
She said: “The West has to keep its mind open to every way in which Ukraine can be helped. I understand and I share the concerns about a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO that a no-fly zone may lead to. Nobody wants to see an escalation of that nature. But on the other hand, Putin is not acting in any way rationally or defensibly. We have a situation right now where perhaps the only thing nuclear weapons are deterring is the ability to properly and directly help Ukraine. All of these things must be considered on a daily basis right now because the world cannot stand by and watch Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty be extinguished – that would be morally wrong from Ukraine’s perspective, but the implications of that for the rest of us in terms of the values we hold dear would be severe too.”
Vadym Novinsky, $2.4 billion: Originally a Russian millionaire he acquired Ukrainian citizenship in 2012 from then-President Viktor Yanukovych. Rapidly increasing prices for ore and metal have increased the value of Akhmetov’s Metinvest steel holding and the wealth of minority shareholder Novinsky.
Petro Poroshenko, $1.5 billion: Ukraine’s fifth president, currently a lawmaker and leader of the 27-member European Solidarity faction in parliament, owns Roshen, the country’s top confectionary company. Poroshenko is also the official owner of opposition TV channel “Pryamy.”
Kostyantyn Zhevago, $1.4 billion: Majority owner of London-listed Ferrexpo ore mining group, the 47-year old cannot set foot on Ukrainian soil.
In 2019, the Prosecutor General’s Office declared him internationally wanted for embezzling $90 million through his bank Finance and Credit. Since then, the businessman has run affairs remotely. In 2020, Ferrexpo’s earnings increased by 46% to $859 million.
The full list of Ukrainian billionaires and millionaires also includes:
Oleksander and Halyna Gerega: Epicenter-K – $1.5 billion Igor Kolomoisky: Privat Group – $1.4 billion Vlad Yatsenko: Revolut – $1.3 billion Gennady Bogolyubov: Privat Group – $1.2 billion Dmitry Firtash: Group DF – $1.7 billion Serhiy Tigipko: TAS – $833 million Yuriy Kosyuk: MHP – $581 million Viktor Medvedchuk: Energy and metallurgy – $569 million Maxim Polyakov: Firefly Aerospace – $540 million Andriy Verevsky: Kernel – $514 million Alexey Martinov: Privat Group – $505 million Vladislav Chechotkin: Rozetka.ua – $472 million Alexander Yaroslavsky: DCH Investment – $462 million Alexey Vadatursky: Nibulon – $459 million Vitaliy Khomutynnik: Cascade-Invest – $404 million Vagif Aliyev: Mandarin Plaza Group – $394 million Vladimir Kostelman: Fozzy Group – $388 million Dmitry Lider: Grammarly – $386 million Maxim Lytvyn: Grammarly – $386 million Oleksiy Shevchenko: Grammarly – $386 million Alexander Konotop: Ajax – $380 million Yevhen Yermakov: ATB – $378 million Victor Karachun: ATB – $378 million Gennady Butkevich: ATB – $378 million Dmytro Zaporozhets: GitLab – $375 million Georgy Skudar: Novokramatorsk Machine-Building Plant – $355 million Stepan Chernovetsky: CIG – $346 million Mykola Zlochevsky: Burisma Group – $338 million Fila Zhebrovska: Farmak – $333 million Pavlo Ovcharenko: Agrein – $331 million Adnan Kivan: Kadorr Group – $302 million Oleg Roginsky: People.ai – $279 million Igor and Hryhoriy Surkis: Dynamo Kyiv, Ukrenergoconsulting – $275 million Volodymyr Popereshnyuk: Nova Poshta – $ 73 million Vyacheslav Klimov: Nova Poshta – $273 million Yevhen Chernyak: Global Spirits – $249 million Taras Kitsmey: Softserve – $245 million Vasyl Khmelnytsky: UFuture Investment Group – $223 million Valery Kiptyk: Olvia Corporation (Varus, Eva) – $220 million Gleb Zagoriy: Darnitsa Pharmaceuticals- $217 million Vitaly Antonov: Universal Investment Group (UKCO) – $211 million Alexander Petrov: Industrial Milk Company – $208 million Kateryna Kostereva: Terrasoft – $207 million Serhiy Lyovochkin: Inter Media Group – $202 million Vadim Nesterenko: Ristone Holdings – $202 million Yaroslav Lyubinets: Softserve – $199 million Alexander Kosovan: MacPaw – $196 million Oleksiy Dubilet: Monobank / Fintech Band – $196 million Alexander Spector: Blockbaster Mall – $187 million Serhiy Krolevets: Eridon – $186 million Victor Polishchuk: Eldorado, shopping center and BC Gulliver – $183 million Oleg Vyshnyakov: Cosmopolitan shopping mall – $179 million Roman Chigir: Fozzy Group – $175 million Oleg Sotnikov: Fozzy Group – $175 million Vadim Yermolaev: Alef Estate – $173 million Vladimir Galanternyk: Odessa (Arcadia City) – $172 million Leonid Yurushev: Hotels InterContinental, Fairmont and Alfavito – $170 million Taras Vervega: SoftServe – $167 million Ruslan Shostak: Varus, & Eva – $165 million Taras Barshchovsky: T.B.Fruit group of companies – $165 million Viktor Yushkovsky: Megamarket, Manufactory, Butterfly Cinemas, Terminal Mall – $156 million Konstantin Grigorishin: Energy Standard – $155 million Vitaliy and Volodymyr Klitschko: Klitschko Management Group – $154 million Vyacheslav Boguslaev: Motor Sich – $152 million Zinoviy Kozytsky: Zakhidnadraservis, Next Bike – $145 million Sviatoslav Nechytaylo: Bayadera Group of Companies – $143 million Andriy Ivanov: Quarter Partners – $143 million Spy Family: Dairy Alliance – $137 million Roman Lunin: Retail Group (Big Pocket), Equator Mall – $136 million Pavel Fuchs, East Europe Petroleum – $134 million Nver and Artur Mkhitaryani: Taryan Group – $133 million Yuriy Vasylyk: SoftServe – $131 million Oleg Denis: SoftServe – $130 million Victor Ivanchyk: Astarta – $130 million Mykola Rudkovsky: Naftogazvydobuvannya – $129 million Serhiy Labaziuk: Vitagro – $128 million Valery Khoroshkovsky: Inter Media Group – $125 million Maxim Yefimov: Donbasenergo – $122 million Boris Kaufman: Tedis Ukraine, Vertex United – $118 million Boris Muzalyov: Tavriya B – $115 million Andriy Adamovsky: OLEDO Group – $114 million Yegor Grebennikov: TIS – $114 million Andriy Stavnitser: TIS – $113 million Boris Kolesnikov: APK-Invest & Konti – $112 million Dmytro Kravchenko, LNZ Group – $111 million Stanislav Ronis: Comfy – $111 million Oleksandr Pylypenko: Kowalska – $107 million Andriy Biba: BRSM – $105 million Anatoliy Skriblyak: Budhouse Group – $105 million Rafael Goroyan: Prometheus Group of Companies – $103 million Vitaliy Haiduk: Hyatt – $103 million Eduard Mkrtchan: Wind Parks of Ukraine, United Transport Holding – $100 million Oleg Gorokhovsky: Monobank / Fintech Band – $100 million Yevhenia Kryvenko: Monobank / Fintech Band – $100 million Mykhailo Rohalsky: Monobank / Fintech Band – $100 million.
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