Ex-chairman of Rada fuel and energy complex committee served with new suspicion notice

On July 28, 2022, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) notified a former MP, the ex-head of the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Fuel and Energy Complex, Nuclear Policy and Nuclear Safety of suspicion of taking undue advantage and money laundering. The actions of the former lawmaker fall under Part 4 Art. 368 and Part 2 Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

As established, in July 2014, the MP received from the Czech company SKODA JS a.s. (part of United Machine-Building Plants holding owned by russia's Gazprombank) an undue advantage in the amount of EUR 311,600 for promoting its interests in Ukraine.

The undue advantage was transferred under the pretext of payment for agency services under the cooperation agreement concluded between SKODA JS a.s. and a Cypriot company affiliated with the MP. Further on, the money was laundered through a series of transactions involving a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. Shortly after, the funds ended up in the account of a company also registered in Cyprus and owned by the lawmaker.

The investigation has established that the company's accounts were used to pay for education, recreation, housing rental abroad, and other personal needs of the suspect and his relatives.

NABU began investigating the above facts based on information provided by law enforcement agencies of the Czech Republic, which discovered suspicious transactions of SKODA JS a.s.

Thanks to international cooperation with the competent authorities of the Czech Republic and Cyprus, as well as materials obtained in Ukraine, NABU and SAPO gathered enough evidence to notify the former MP of suspicion.

As for the employees of SKODA JS a.s., the law enforcement authorities of the Czech Republic brought charges against 6 employees of this company (the criminal case is at the trial stage).

The former MP is also accused in another case investigated by NABU and SAPO. He and his accomplices organized schemes to embezzle funds from the state-owned enterprises SkhidGZK and Energoatom. Total losses amount to more than EUR 6.4 million and USD 17.2 million.

This case was investigated and sent to court in 2018. Unfortunately, due to numerous delays by the defense, it has not been considered yet.

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.