Case description
Former MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko is accused of organizing the scheme to embezzle UAH 740 million in gas purchases at reduced prices. Onyshchenko is hiding abroad and faces 15 years of imprisonment.
Oleksandr Onyshchenko is a former MP and former deputy chair of the Verkhovna Rada's Fuel Committee. His case is one of the most high-profile in the NABU's work, and its investigation began in 2015.
Detectives believe that in 2013–2016, Onyshchenko organized the scheme to sell Ukrgazvydobuvannya's gas to his companies on fake exchanges at reduced prices. The latter sold gas to consumers at market prices, while operating on the price difference scheme, which amounted to UAH 1.6 billion. As a result, Ukrgasvydobuvannya suffered more than UAH 740 million in losses.
The scheme included 29 people—co-organizers, employees of Ukrgazvydobuvannya, lawyers, financiers, and other officials. In particular, the case involves former head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov, Kharkiv judge Tetiana Denysiuk, Onyshchenko’s mother Inesa Kadyrova, and Valerii Postnyi (the latter two are co-organizers).
Onyshchenko is also accused of organizing the scheme to unjustifiably defer tax debts for companies under his control, which resulted in the state losing UAH 2 billion. Total losses as a result of all criminal actions are estimated at about UAH 3 billion.
In 2016, the former MP left Ukraine and was hiding from justice in Spain and Germany. In the latter, he was detained, but later extradition to Ukraine was denied and the accused was denied political asylum. The former MP confirmed that he had Russian citizenship. In January 2021, the United States put Onyshchenko on a sanctions list for a possible attempt to interfere in the presidential election.
Onyshchenko is charged with creating a criminal organization that allegedly included 29 people, together with whom he allegedly seized UAH 740 million in natural gas purchases at reduced prices between 2013 and 2016. In addition, Onyshchenko was charged with forgery, money laundering, and illegal handling of weapons.
The HACC sentenced Onyshchenko in absentia to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property, and his financial director Olena Pavlenko to 12 years of imprisonment. The sentence refers to the confiscation of the following assets as punishment:
- three land plots with a total area of 60,000 square meters, located in the city of Ukrainka, Kyiv region;
- a land plot in the village of Kozyn in Obukhiv district of Kyiv region and real estate on it;
- a MERCEDES-BENZ S 500L 4MATIC car;
- corporate rights of KHAS COMPANY LLC, TOP UKRAINE LLC, OLIMPIK Equestrian Sports Complex LLC, NATURAL RESOURCES + LLC;
- corporate rights in an authorized capital;
- funds on accounts at PJSC Diamant Bank, CB PRIVATBANK, LAS Trasta komercbanka (Republic of Latvia), as well as in a Russian bank;
- hunting rifle and jewelry.
The following will be subject to special forfeiture:
- corporate rights in the authorized capital of KHAS COMPANY LLC;
- funds in the amount of USD 7,369.91 in AS PrivatBank (Republic of Latvia) of the company Ostexpert Limited;
- corporate rights of the company Fastilo Traiding LTD;
- non-residential premises with a total area of 535.00 square meters on Khreshchatyk in Kyiv;
- funds in the amount of USD 600,000 (they have already been recovered into state ownership).
