The suspect in Portnov's murder declined assistance from the Ukrainian consulate

Ukrainian citizen Oleksandr A., who is suspected of murdering former Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Portnov, has rejected an offer of support from Ukrainian diplomats. The 45-year-old native of Shakhtarsk is currently in custody in Cologne, where he is awaiting extradition to Spain to stand trial. 

This was reported by the German publication Die ZEIT. According to media reports, Spanish investigators consider him the direct perpetrator of the crime.

The suspect was arrested in late February in the city of Heinsberg during a joint operation by German and Spanish law enforcement agencies. Police found a weapon in the suspect’s residence, which, according to preliminary data, was used to kill Portnov. Investigators are considering the theory of a contract killing carried out by an individual with ties to Moscow.

According to the investigation materials published by Die ZEIT, Alexander A. is described as a petty criminal recruited to carry out the contract on a “one-time hitman” basis. To clarify the circumstances, journalists spoke with the suspect’s associates in Germany and officials in Ukraine. Further proceedings in the case will take place under Spanish jurisdiction after the transfer of the detainee is completed.

Earlier, Die Zeit published details regarding the Ukrainian Oleksandr A., who was detained in Germany on suspicion of murdering Andriy Portnov, the former deputy head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, in Madrid.

We also previously reported that Andriy Portnov, who was killed in Spain, had transferred ownership of a luxury mansion to his children a few months before his death.

Lawyer Andriy Portnov was in Ukraine a few days before his own murder in Madrid. There, he met with top officials responsible for law enforcement agencies.