By KYIV. May 25 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has notified the board chairmen of JSC Ivano-Frankivskgas and JSC Sumygas under the Firtash case.
“The Security Service and the Bureau of Economic Security continue to investigate corruption schemes of the sanctioned oligarch, Dmytro Firtash, and the top management of the companies controlled by him. During the complex measures, the criminal activity of two more officials involved in the stealing of blue fuel from the gas transmission system of Ukraine was documented,” the Ukrainian special service said on the Telegram channel on Thursday.
According to the SBU, the defendants are the board chairmen of JSC Ivano-Frankivskgas and JSC Sumygas.
The top managers were notified of the suspicion under Part 3 of Article 27 and Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation, embezzlement or possession of property by abuse of office).
“Based on the evidence collected by the SBU, a measure of restraint has been chosen for the heads of certain regional gas companies in the form of detention or a bail, in particular, UAH 169 million [for top manager of] JSC Zakarpatgas, UAH 228 million for JSC Khmelnytskgas, UAH 186 million for JSC Vinnytsiagas, UAH 155 million for JSC Lvivgas, and UAH 160 million for JSC Dnipropetrovskgas.
The SBU, together with the Bureau of Economic Security, exposed a large-scale scheme for the appropriation of state gas worth billions of hryvnias.
According to the materials of the investigation, the officials of Firtash’s regional gas companies stole funds that were provided for the purchase of natural gas to heat the homes of Ukrainian citizens.
Nine defendants, including Firtash, were notified of suspicion. For five of them, who are now evading justice abroad, the issue of putting them on the international wanted list is being considered.
An investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Complex measures were carried out by the SBU officers together with the Bureau of Economic Security under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine.
