Case description
The NABU and SAPO have charged Yevhenii Lakhnenko of the restructuring of Odesa Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), with causing UAH 28 million in damages to the company. If convicted, he faces 7 to 12 years in prison.
According to the investigation, in spring 2016, Yevhenii Lakhnenko, a sanation administrator of Odesa Combined Heat and Power Plant PJSC signed a gas supply contract with a company that, at the time, had no technical capacity to deliver the service. Despite this, he transferred UAH 28 million to the company.
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The scheme was relatively simple: sign a contract with Holding Energy Company Energomerezha, which had no real production capabilities but held the formal legal capacity to enter into such agreements. The State Audit Service later identified violations. The NEURC also concluded that the contract violated the law, since Odesa CHP had a significant debt to Naftogaz of Ukraine at the time of signing. Letters from Naftogaz and Ukrtransgaz confirmed there were no gas deliveries from Energomerezha in 2015–2016.
As a result, UAH 28 million was effectively siphoned off from the enterprise’s accounts, causing substantial harm.
Lakhnenko has been charged under Article 191(5) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. If found guilty, he faces 7 to 12 years of imprisonment, confiscation of property, and a ban on holding certain positions for up to 3 years. The proceedings are currently suspended as Lakhnenko is serving in the military.
