The SAPO has charged accomplices of MP Yaroslav Dubnevych with embezzling gas worth more than UAH 2.1 billion, allegedly involving individuals under his control at a CHP in the Lviv region.

Dubnevych himself fled Ukraine. He is currently wanted internationally, and the materials related to him have been separated into a standalone set of proceedings. His case is also already under consideration at the High Anti-Corruption Court.

According to the investigation, the companies-owners of Novoiavorivska and Novorozdilska CHP plants, owned by Yaroslav Dubnevych and his brother Bohdan, concluded several agreements to purchase natural gas from Naftogaz in 2013–2015 to produce heat for the needs of the population. To reduce the cost of heating for people, Naftogaz supplied gas to commercial CHP plants at prices significantly lower than market values.

The detectives found that the CHP plants received that gas illegally and used 450 million cubic meters to generate electricity, which they then sold to Energorynok at market prices.

In addition to MP Dubnevych, whose proceedings have been separated, the case involves five more individuals:

• Ihor Kuchma, ex-director of Energia LLC,
• Ihor Artymko, Head of Energia-Novyi Rozdil LLC,
• Ihor Ilkiv, Deputy Head of Energia-Novyi Rozdil LLC,
• Oleh Pavlyshyn, Financial Director of Energia-Novyi Rozdil,
• Oleksandr Oleksiuk, ex-director of Energia-Novoiavorivsk LLC.

Initially, the investigation did not suspect MPs Yaroslav Dubnevych and Bohdan Dubnevych of stealing gas from the CHP plants they owned. However, already in October 2023, Yaroslav Dubnevych served with a suspicion notice. Other scheme participants were served with suspicion notices in January 2018 (episode of gas embezzlement worth UAH 1.4 billion) and August 2020 (episode of gas embezzlement worth almost UAH 730 million).

The defendants’ actions were classified under Article 191(5), Article 366(2), and Article 209(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

In addition to the above-mentioned abuses, Ihor Kuchma is also accused of tax evasion and money laundering.

The materials related to Yaroslav Dubnevych have been separated into a standalone set of proceedings. In addition to this case, he is suspected of misappropriating over UAH 93 million from Ukrzaliznytsia. Detectives investigated the organization of controlled open tenders, where turnouts were procured with significant overpayments.