NABU and SAPO ask HACC to remove Chernyshov from office
The NABU and the SAPO are requesting a preventive measure for Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov in the form of a bail of UAH 120 million.
This was reported by the NABU press service, Censor.NET informs.
The anti-corruption agencies also filed a motion with the High Anti-Corruption Court to remove Chernyshov from office.
In addition, the SAPO also demands that the following duties be imposed on him
- attend every request of the detective, prosecutor and court;
- to notify the investigator, prosecutor or court of any change of residence or place of work;
- not to leave the locality in which he is staying without the permission of the investigator, prosecutor or court;
- to deposit his passport(s) for travelling abroad with the relevant state authorities;
- to refrain from communicating with other suspects in the case and witnesses;
- to wear an electronic control device.
"It should be noted that the application of such a measure of restraint was agreed upon by NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors based on the risks identified in this case, as well as the HACC case law in similar cases. In particular, it took into account his return to Ukraine and his arrival at the NABU upon summons.
If the court imposes this measure of restraint, the suspect is obliged to post a certain amount of bail within 5 days. If the suspect fails to fulfil this obligation, as well as if the facts of violation of the conditions of the preventive measure are established, the prosecutor has the right to file a motion to change the preventive measure to a more stringent one," they added.
What is known about corruption in the Ministry of Reconstruction under Chernyshov?
Last week, the NABU served five people with a notice of suspicion in a case of corruption in the construction sector involving top government officials.
In particular, Vasyl Volodin, a member of the Board of "Naftogaz" of Ukraine, Maksym Horbatiuk, Chief Commercial Officer of "Ukrgazvydobuvannia" JSC, Alla Sushon, former Director of "Ukrkomunobslugovuvannia" SE, and Serhii Kopystyra, a developer, were suspected of abuse of office, receiving and giving an undue advantage in a particularly large amount.
On 13 June, the HACC arrested Horbatiuk with the option of posting UAH 25 million bail, on 17 June, the court arrested Volodin with an alternative of UAH 20 million bail, and on 20 June, the developer, Kopystyr was granted a preventive measure in the form of arrest with an alternative of UAH 100 million bail.
At the time of the crime, Volodin was the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Regional Development, and Horbatiuk was an adviser to the head of the ministry, Oleksii Chernyshov, who later became the head of "Naftogaz", where his associates also went to work. Chernyshov is now the head of the Ministry of National Unity and is abroad.
According to the investigation, the developer developed a scheme to illegally obtain a land plot in Kyiv for the construction of a residential complex. To do this, he turned to top officials of the Ministry of Regional Development, who created the conditions for the transfer of land to a state-controlled enterprise. The latter illegally entered into investment agreements with the construction company in question. At the same time, the land and the buildings on it were valued at almost five times cheaper, and the difference between this valuation and the market value exceeded UAH 1 billion.
According to the UP, NABU detectives planned to conduct a search of Chernyshov's place a year ago, but it was cancelled at the request of the Bureau's director, Semen Kryvonos. At the same time, Chernyshov secretly met with Kryvonos, later explaining that the meeting was to discuss the anti-corruption programme of "Naftogaz". Kryvonos himself denied any involvement in the cancellation of Chernyshov's searches.
