By KYIV. Dec 19 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has filed a motion to extend for 12 months the investigation into the case against the former governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), Kyrylo Shevchenko, who is suspected of embezzling funds from the state-owned Ukrgasbank (Kyiv), causing damage in the amount of more than UAH 206 million.
"My defenders received information that NABU detectives filed a petition to extend the pretrial investigation. This is the second time in the last three weeks," Shevchenko wrote on Facebook.
According to him, such actions of NABU are confirmation of their lack of evidence.
As reported, early October, the anti-corruption authorities of Ukraine announced the exposure of the illegal activities of Ukrgasbank officials and the notification of suspicion of five main defendants in this crime, including the ex-head of the bank and Kyrylo Shevchenko, who resigned from the post of governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.
According to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), it was established that the bank’s management, having information about banking service agreements concluded with large customers, used it to steal money.
"For this purpose, bank officials ensured the conclusion of fictitious contracts with individuals and legal entities, who, allegedly being the bank’s "agents," attracted large clients to it. For such "agent services," the bank illegally paid "remuneration" to these persons on a monthly basis," the SAPO said.
Investigators found that during 2014-2020 under this scheme, 52 fictitious agents groundlessly received funds transferred from the state-owned bank in the amount of more than UAH 206 million.
Then, on October 23, 2022, NABU put on the wanted list Shevchenko, as well as deputy board chairman of Ukrgasbank Denys Chernyshov, deputy director of the department for working with corporate VIP clients Olena Khmelenko.
