NABU informs former Naftogaz chief of completion of investigation in the case of bonuses

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau informed the former chairman of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine Andriy Kobolyev and his lawyers about the completion of the investigation in the case of charging high premiums for the company's victory in the Stockholm arbitration against Gazprom, according to the document published by the head of NABU Oleh Novikov on social media.

The document states that the evidence collected during the investigation is sufficient for drawing up an indictment.

"Now either the case will be referred to the court or it will be closed. We will find out soon," Kobolyev commented on NABU's decision.

Kobolyev's lawyers were notified of the completion of the investigation immediately after the Higher Anti-Corruption Court repeatedly refused to extend the pre-trial investigation period in the case of bonuses.

NABU had hoped to extend the term of the pre-trial investigation, announcing the discovery of a new mass of information in the case that needs to be processed. The Bureau said it found e-mail correspondence of individuals involved in the initiation, approval, and execution of the decision to pay bonuses to Kobolyev.

For the first time, the HACCU refused NABU to extend the period of pre-trial investigation on April 12.

After the repeated refusal of the anti-graft court, the prosecutors had only a few days left to either close the case or complete the investigation, open the investigation materials to the defense, and after review, send the indictment to the court.

In January, Kobolyev was charged by NABU because of bonuses at Naftogaz for winning the Stockholm arbitration against Gazprom. The investigation believes that in May 2018, contrary to the requirements of the law, he issued an order on bonusing the company's employees, on the basis of which he was paid an excessively large bonus in the amount of almost 261 million UAH (equivalent to $10 million).

In March, the Appeals Chamber of the HACCU imposed a preventive measure against Kobolyev in the form of bail in the amount of UAH 229.248 million ($6.2 million).

Kobolyev did not post bail, but his pre-trial restriction was not changed.