$600,000 seized in 'gas case' 7 years ago now support Ukrainian intelligence efforts

The detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau on the instructions of the prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office transferred $600,000, which was seized in 2016 as part of the investigation of the so-called "gas case", to the needs of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, reported the NABU press service.

The "gas case" became one of the first criminal proceedings in the work of NABU detectives and, at that time, the most high-profile exposure of corruption, taking into account the status of the organizers and participants of the scheme, the number of people involved, the amount of damage caused to the state, the Bureau notes.

According to the investigation, ex-MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko was the founder and head of a criminal organization whose members illegally seized more than UAH 1.6 billion ($60.5 million) from the sale of natural gas between January 2013 and June 2016. As a result of such actions, losses in the amount of more than UAH 740 million ($27.9 million) were caused to Ukrgazvydobuvannya.

In general, the investigation established the involvement of 29 people in the "gas scheme", including the organizers of the scheme, employees of Ukrgazvydobuvannya, lawyers, financiers, company managers, etc.

As part of the pre-trial investigation, eight suspects pleaded guilty and entered into plea agreements. The investigation into the role of another 15 people has also been completed: indictments against them will be sent to court in 2019.