"Amber" case: indictment sent to court

On Oct. 5, 2018, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against possible participants in the so-called "Amber" case, including two incumbent MPs, to the Holosiivskyi District Court of Kyiv.

They are charged with crimes under:

• the MP, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Financial Policy and Banking - Part 4 Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine ("Acceptance of an offer, promise or illegal benefit by an official holding a particularly responsible position");
• the MP, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship - Part 4 Article 368, Part 2 Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• an MP's aide, who, according to the investigation, acted as an accomplice - Part 4 Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• a member of the inter-factional group "Deputy Control" and his two accomplices - Part 2 Article 28, Part 2 Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

As established, on June 19, NABU detained several persons involved in accepting illegal benefits for assisting a foreign company in amber mining in Ukraine. According to the investigation, the crime was committed with the participation of Ukrainian lawmakers.

On July 11, 2017, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine granted the respective motions by SAPO Head Nazar Kholodnytsky and sanctioned the prosecution of the MPs.

The investigation has recorded at least 5 crime episodes, where the suspects received from a representative of a foreign company illegal benefits totaling over USD 300 thousand. In exchange, they promised to ensure the preparation of bills and put pressure on the State Geocadastre, the State Forestry Agency, the State Committee for Geodesy, and local governments to make unimpeded decisions in favor of the foreign company.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered non-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.