The HACC discharged former Director General of State Enterprise Artillery Armament Design Bureau Vadym Shtepenko from criminal liability due to the expiry of the statute of limitations.

Shtepenko had been charged with official negligence — that is, the improper performance of official duties through a careless approach to them.

In July 2015, Shtepenko was temporarily appointed acting Director General of State Enterprise Artillery Armament Design Bureau (the AADB) pending the conclusion of a contract with a new permanent director.

The enterprise's activities focus on scientific, technical, and commercial work in the development and production of artillery armament and ammunition. The enterprise has its own balance sheet, bank accounts, seal, and trademark, and may enter into contracts, acquire rights, and bear liability in court.

As an AADB official, Shtepenko was fully aware that suppliers of goods or services had to hold "qualified supplier" status. Despite this, in December 2015 he signed a supply contract with Prom-Technology Company LLC, even though the supplier did not hold qualified status. The contract was signed without conducting the required price analysis.

Using his electronic signature and access to the AADB account, Shtepenko transferred UAH 1.89 million to Prom-Technolody Company LLC's account in violation of statutory requirements.

He also instructed subordinate staff to allow vehicles through the enterprise's checkpoint without proper documentation, thereby securing receipt of the goods under the supply contract — a complete transformer substation unit with a meter, a transformer, and 22 distribution cabinets, with an actual value of UAH 207,000.

As a result, AADB sustained losses of UAH 1.6 million.

Shtepenko was initially charged under Article 364(2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, but the charges were later reclassified under Article 367(2).

The HACC discharged Shtepenko from criminal liability due to the expiry of the statute of limitations. The criminal offense with which he was charged dated to December 24, 2015, and qualifies as a non-grave offense, for which the statutory limitation period is five years. The limitation period in this case therefore expired on December 23, 2020.