NABU detained the Head of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine
On March 2, 2017, the Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) under the procedural guidance of the Anti-corruption prosecutors detained and gave a notice of suspicion to the Head of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine (SFS) for allegedly committing a crime under Part 2 Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine («Abuse of authority or office»).
The detention took place on the territory of the Clinical Hospital Feofaniya. On the morning of March 2, 2017, the NABU Detectives have started a number of searches at the SFS Main Department. The investigators planned to give a notice of suspicion to the Head of SFS at his workplace, but he did not appear, no information on reasons for absenteeism and his whereabouts were given to the Detectives. The investigation revealed that from the afternoon of March 2 the Head of SFS was in the Clinical Hospital Feofaniya. So, at 16:30 the Detectives arrived there for the purpose of his detention and to give a notice of suspicion.
After receiving access to the hospital room of the Head of SFS, the NABU Detectives gave him a notice of suspicion. These actions were recorded on the video, according to the procedural law. The suspect was not transferred to pre-trial detention facility due to the information on his health condition allegedly being deteriorated .
However, according to the procedural law, he is considered to be officially detained. As of now the NABU employees are on duty near his hospital room. Currently, the NABU is preparing a motion to the court to select a preventive measure.
The investigation revealed that in the period from May 2015 to March 2016 the Head of SFS adopted a series of unfounded and illegal decisions on deferred payment of rent to the amount of 2.019 bln UAH for the use of subsoil for companies involved in the so-called «Onyshchenko’s gas case».
Searches at the suspect`s house were finished on March 3, 2017, at 05:00 a.m. The abovementioned actions were based on the pre-trial investigation as of the facts of public funds embezzlement scheme while producing and selling gas under joint operation agreements with the Public Joint-Stock Company Ukrgasvydobuvannia
On March 4, 2017, the suspect was taken from the territory of the Clinical Hospital Feofaniya for objective verified health assessment. However, some Members of Parliament for two hours were blocking the entrance to the intensive care unit of the National Scientific Center: «M.D. Strazhesko Institute of Cardiology» MAS of Ukraine.
Since the detention the suspect is to be in custody for 72 hours and any actions on Detectives for the purpose of interfering with official duty are criminally punishable (according to Article 343 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
It should be reminded that the NABU started this investigation on December 4, 2015.