Case description
Roman Nasirov, former head of the State Fiscal Service, is accused of involvement in Onyshchenko's gas case, in which he and an accomplice, according to the prosecution, issued an illegal order to pay monetary obligations in installments for the use of mineral resources for mining and evaded paying tax debt in installments. The state is likely to have suffered losses of about UAH 2 billion.
The case of former MP Oleksandr Onyshchenko began to be investigated back in 2015. According to the NABU, Onyshchenko organized a scheme to sell gas from the state enterprise Ukrgasvydobuvannya to controlled companies on fake exchanges at reduced prices. The latter sold gas to consumers at market prices, while operating on the price difference scheme — thus, the organizers made money and the state suffered losses.
According to the anti-corruption authorities, Nasirov's role in this scheme was to give his subordinates from the SFS authorities an illegal order to defer tax debts of Firm Khas LLC, Nadra Heotsentr LLC, and Karpatnadrainvest LLC, all three controlled by Onyshchenko.
According to the investigation, the heads of the Main Departments of the State Fiscal Service in Kharkiv, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, under Roman Nasirov's guidance, submitted false information about the alleged threat of bankruptcy of companies. In fact, there were no real risks: the companies consistently bought gas from the state at cost price, while the tax debt continued to grow. The financial statements deliberately omitted the installments already received and the terms of payment for tax obligations, which was contrary to the law.
The pre-trial investigation bodies indicate that, under Nasirov's instructions, employees of the territorial departments of the State Fiscal Service issued positive conclusions about the possibility of deferred payments, despite there being no grounds for this. In December 2015, Nasirov altered the terms of previously granted deferrals, postponing the payment of debts to January 1, 2016, which also violated the law. Two forensic economic examinations confirmed that Nasirov's actions from May 2015 to March 2016 could have resulted in a shortfall of more than UAH 2 billion in state income.
Roman Nasirov
The defense claims that Nasirov acted within the limits of his powers, and that the decision on deferred payments was made by the relevant divisions of the State Fiscal Service. In addition, the defense emphasizes that deferred payment did not mean an exemption from paying taxes, and that there were no criminal proceedings or official investigations into tax evasion against the enterprises.
The case also involves Volodymyr Novikov, the former head of a department of the State Fiscal Service. He was allegedly Nasirov's accomplice in the abuses. Also, the former head of the Department, Liudmyla Solotva, was likely involved in the scheme (there are separate proceedings against her, and the trial is ongoing).
Before the HACC started its operation, Nasirov's case was heard by the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv. In October 2019, it was referred to the HACC, where its trial is still ongoing.
Nasirov was charged with Article 364, Part 2 and Article 366, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In September 2023, he was exempted from liability for forgery, as the statute of limitations under the article had already expired.
Volodymyr Novikov, Nasirov's accomplice, was charged under Article 27, Part 5 and Article 364, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. There is no final decision in the case yet.
In 2017, Nasirov was removed from office, and in early 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers dismissed the head of the SFS. Later, the infamous Kyiv District Administrative Court reinstated Nasirov to his position. Nasirov, however, waived the claims.
That same year, it became known from the SAPO prosecutor that Nasirov held British and Hungarian citizenships. His British citizenship was also confirmed by the then-Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. Furthermore, in the spring of 2021, Nasirov also attempted to obtain a repatriation visa in Israel, but the court considered this a potential precondition for leaving the territory of Ukraine.
Nasirov also gained attention for his political career. Despite serious charges against him, he ran for the office of President of Ukraine in 2019, but ended up at the bottom of the rankings.
Nasirov is also known for the incident when the suspicion was read to him in Feofania Hospital, and he was later taken to court covered in a checkered blanket.
During the judicial debate on April 9, 2025, it became known that Nasirov voluntarily mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, the Military Law Enforcement Service reported the very next day that the commander had deemed the order to summon the ex-official unlawful and had annulled it. All materials were then handed over to the law enforcement authorities for proper legal assessment.
Roman Nasirov is also accused of receiving a record bribe of UAH 722 million. According to the investigation, he received this bribe from a businessman Oleh Bakhmatiuk, the owner of the Ukrlandfarming agricultural holding. Evidence in this case is still being investigated.
