Search

Case of ex-director of Tsentrgaz Kostiantyn Starovoit on embezzlement

  • Date of commencement of the case: 26/09/2019
Track case progress If you would like to follow the case, leave your email and get updates sent straight to your inbox
Case of ex-director of Tsentrgaz Kostiantyn Starovoit on embezzlement Case of ex-director of Tsentrgaz Kostiantyn Starovoit on embezzlement

Case description

On August 6, 2020, the HACC found Kostiantyn Starovoit, former director of Tsentrgaz (subsidiary of OJSC Kirovogradgaz), guilty of an attempted embezzlement of UAH 8.6 mln in favor of a private company. He was imprisoned for a term of 8 years, with confiscation of the car and a ban on holding certain positions for 3 years.

Before Starovoit committed the crime, LLC Metida, which was founded by two defendants in this case, transferred more than UAH 12 mln to the account of Tsentrgaz under the guise of prepayment for natural gas. 

Subsequently, Starovoit deliberately concluded an unprofitable contract with LLC Naftogazgroup Demetra to purchase natural gas for more than UAH 9 mln. According to it, in case of non-payment or partial payment for gas, Demetra has the right not to transfer gas and to charge Tsentrgaz a penalty for each day of delay and an additional fine in the amount of 100% of the total cost of gas, which did happen. 

In the natural gas market, a frequent phenomenon is when payment is made in part, and underpayment of 5-10% of the amount is not considered a reason for applying penalties.

On June 30, 2017, UAH 8.6 mln was first transferred to the account of Demetra, and then to Metida under the guise of funds according to the terms of the contract. Therefore, as a result, the latter enterprise illegally enriched itself by UAH 8.6 mln, initially transferred to Tsentrgaz as an advance payment. Tsentrgaz itself suffered damage on a particularly large scale and did not receive new gas under this contract.

Starovoit confirmed that he had concluded the agreement, since the price offered by LLC Naftogazgroup Demetra for 1,000 cubic meters was lower than that of other sellers. The official was convinced that there were no risks of paying penalties under this agreement. At the same time, the court proved that he had a connection with the owners of LLC Metida and an interest in enriching it.

The case was qualified under Art. 191, part 5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Starovoit was sentenced to 8 years in prison with confiscation of a 2012 Kia Optima car and deprivation of the right to hold positions related to the performance of administrative and economic functions for 3 years.

The appellate instance upheld the verdict to Starovoit, just as the Supreme Court did after considering the cassation appeal. The National Police of Ukraine put him on the wanted list because he evaded enforcement of the sentence.

  • Proceeding No.: 42019000000000830
  • Case No.: 910/398/19 show all cases hide other cases
  • Other court cases No.: 760/25115/19
  • Incriminated: Article 191, part 5, Article 209, part 3, Article 191, part 2
Instance Key parties Instance /Key parties:
HACC AC
11/02/2022

Panel of judges: Chorna V.V., Pavlyshyn O.F.

Lawyer: Volosnoi Ya.O.

CCC
15/04/2021

Panel of judges: Storozhenko S.O., Vus S.M., Yeremeichuk S.V., Borodii V.M.

Lawyer: Horovoho O.V., Volosnoi Ya.O., Vaha Yu.V., Chyshynskoho R.V., Balyty R.I.

Prosecutor: Krychun V.V.

HACC AC
16/09/2020

Panel of judges: Mykhailenko D.H., Semennykov O.Yu., Semennykov O.Yu., Nykyforov A.S., Bodnar S.B., Mykhailenko D.H.

Lawyer: Vaha Yu.V., Volosnoi Ya.O.

HACC
26/09/2019

Panel of judges: Voronko V.D., Kryklyva T.H., Kravchuk O.O., Sikora K.O.

Lawyer: Bodni I.O., Minakova I.V, Vaha Yu.V.

Prosecutor: Shcherbai T.A., Krychun V.V., Sniehirov O.M.

Infographics

CASE OF KOSTIANTYN STAROVOIT

Kostiantyn Starovoit, ex-director of Kropyvnytskyi Tsentrgaz, embezzled almost UAH 9 mln of the company's funds, for which he was sentenced to 8 years. However, he managed to escape, so now he is on the wanted list.

  • On June 30, 2017
    Starovoit concluded an unprofitable and fictitious agreement with LLC Naftogazgroup Demetra for more than UAH 9 mln. On the same day, UAH 8.6 mln was withdrawn from the accounts of Tsentrgaz
  • pic
    On June 25, 2019
    the NABU served Starovoit with a suspicion notice
  • pic
    On August 6, 2020
    the HACC found Starovoit guilty and sentenced him to 8 years in prison with confiscation of the car and a ban on holding certain positions for 3 years
  • On February 10, 2021
    the HACC Appeals Chamber upheld the verdict to Starovoit
  • On May 7, 2021
    the police put Starovoit on the wanted list because he evaded enforcement of the court verdict. February 10, 2021, is marked as the date of his disappearance
  • On October 28, 2021
    the Supreme Court upheld the verdict to Starovoit

Decisions from the Register

Case No. Court Decision date Decision type
760/25115/19 HACC 12/09/2019
760/25115/19 HACC 12/09/2019
760/25115/19 HACC 12/09/2019
910/398/19 HACC 26/09/2019 On the appointment of a preparatory court hearing
910/398/19 HACC 16/10/2019 On the appointment of a trial
910/398/19 HACC 22/10/2019 On the appointment of a trial
910/398/19 HACC 25/10/2019
910/398/19 HACC 25/10/2019
760/25115/19 HACC 29/10/2019
910/398/19 HACC 11/12/2019
910/398/19 HACC 11/12/2019
910/398/19 HACC 27/07/2020
910/398/19 HACC 27/07/2020
910/398/19 HACC 27/07/2020
910/398/19 HACC 27/07/2020
910/398/19 HACC 06/08/2020 Verdicts
910/398/19 HACC AC 16/09/2020 Opening of appeal proceedings
910/398/19 HACC AC 30/09/2020 Completion of the preparation and appointment of the appeal hearing
910/398/19 HACC AC 27/01/2021
910/398/19 HACC AC 10/02/2021
910/398/19 HACC AC 10/02/2021
910/398/19 HACC AC 01/03/2021
910/398/19 HACC AC 03/03/2021
910/398/19 HACC AC 11/03/2021 On leaving the appeal without action
910/398/19 HACC AC 18/03/2021 Opening of appeal proceedings
910/398/19 HACC AC 02/04/2021 Completion of the preparation and appointment of the appeal hearing
910/398/19 CCC 15/04/2021 On the refusal to suspend the enforcement of the sentence / гіпотетично може може бути й про зупинення виконання вироку
910/398/19 CCC 15/04/2021 On the opening of cassation proceedings
910/398/19 HACC AC 14/05/2021 On non-granting of the appeal and leaving the verdict unchanged
910/398/19 HACC AC 14/05/2021 On non-granting of the appeal and leaving the verdict unchanged
910/398/19 CCC 25/05/2021 On the opening of cassation proceedings
910/398/19 CCC 26/05/2021 On the refusal to suspend the enforcement of the sentence / гіпотетично може може бути й про зупинення виконання вироку
910/398/19 CCC 05/07/2021 On the completion of preparation and appointment of the cassation hearing
910/398/19 CCC 09/09/2021 On the opening of cassation proceedings
910/398/19 CCC 27/10/2021 Resolution to leave the verdict and the AC decision unchanged and not grant the cassation appeal
910/398/19 HACC AC 11/02/2022 Opening of appeal proceedings
910/398/19 HACC AC 23/03/2022
910/398/19 HACC AC 23/05/2022
910/398/19 HACC AC 23/05/2022
910/398/19 HACC AC 23/08/2022 Opening of appeal proceedings
910/398/19 HACC AC 23/08/2022
910/398/19 HACC AC 29/08/2022
910/398/19 HACC AC 02/09/2022
910/398/19 HACC AC 02/09/2022
910/398/19 HACC 15/09/2022
910/398/19 HACC 11/11/2022
910/398/19 HACC 11/11/2022
910/398/19 HACC 18/11/2022