ko ) ▁in ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁Don et sk ▁business man ▁Y ev hen ▁Sh cher ban ▁and ▁Alexander ▁M om ot ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁and ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁bank er ▁V ad ym ▁Het man ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ; ▁Laz aren ko ▁has ▁denied ▁invol vement ▁in ▁all ▁these ▁cases . ▁ ▁Size ▁of ▁cor ruption ▁According ▁to ▁an ▁official ▁count ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Nations , ▁approximately ▁$ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁was ▁lo oted ▁by ▁Laz aren ko ▁during ▁ 1 9 9 6 – 1 9 9 7 ▁from ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Ukraine . ▁ ▁Laz aren ko ▁is ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁ab used ▁his ▁official ▁authority ▁as ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁to ▁ext ort ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁business man ▁Peter ▁Kir itchen ko ' s ▁$ 6 0 ▁million ▁in ▁prof its . ▁ ▁Laz aren ko ▁then ▁ordered ▁him ▁to ▁assist ▁in ▁la und ering ▁the ▁proceed s ▁to ▁accounts ▁in ▁Poland , ▁Switzerland , ▁Ant igua , ▁and ▁eventually ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁where ▁a ▁shell ▁company ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁conce al ▁his ▁property ▁p uc r ch ases . ▁Kir itchen ko ▁ple aded ▁guilty ▁to ▁one ▁count ▁of ▁rece ipt ▁of ▁st olen ▁property ▁and ▁agreed ▁to ▁test ify ▁against ▁Laz aren ko . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁he ▁made ▁un law ful ▁trans fers ▁of ▁$ 2 . 3 ▁million