Pressure during Chernyshov’s case was very serious, - NABU Director Kryvonos
The director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Semen Kryvonos, said that the investigation into the case of former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Chernyshov was under serious pressure.
He said this in an interview with LB.ua, Censor.NET reports.
"I can say in general that the pressure during this case was very serious. And the elements of pressure can mean many things. But, look, in this case, the result is important, not what preceded it. The result was achieved in the form of a notice of suspicion. This means we have done everything, demonstrated efficiency, independence, and reached a result," explained the Bureau's director.
According to Kryvonos, this result is interim.
"A suspicion is not yet an indictment or a final court decision. This is still far ahead. And this is an adversarial process in which evidence from both sides can be presented. This is all still ahead. But the fact that we have reached the point of serving a notice of suspicion in a particular case to such a high-ranking official shows that our detectives and prosecutors are capable of investigating such cases. And they have all the guarantees of independence to do so. Despite all the obstacles that may be created at the court level," he added.
The case of 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, Kopystyra 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.
On 27 June, the HACC imposed a bail of UAH 120,002,668 on Oleksii Chernyshov with a number of procedural obligations.
On 2 July, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity Oleksii Chernyshov was granted bail in the amount of UAH 120 million.
On 2 July 2025, the HACC did not remove Chernyshov from the post of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity.
