The High Anti-Corruption Court has delivered a verdict in the case of former MP Dmytro Kriuchkov. Currently, he is in Switzerland, where, according to his statement, he is undergoing medical treatment.
Kriuchkov was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of all property belonging to him. Also, he must pay a fine of UAH 17,000 and is banned from holding managerial positions for 3 years. The court applied the special confiscation of UAH 468 million of Kriuchkov's assets and other property, which were recognized as proceeds of a crime. However, he was acquitted of specific charges related to the abuse of his official position.
Also involved in the case is Kriuchkov's accomplice, Svitlana Kuzminska, who headed Cherkasyoblenergo. She was sentenced to 8 years in prison, with half of her property confiscated. The court additionally banned Kuzminska from holding certain positions for 2 years.
According to the civil claims of the Odesa CHPP and Zaporizhiaoblenergo, Dmytro Kriuchkov will have to pay UAH 49 million. Additionally, Kriuchkov and Kuzminska are jointly obligated to pay UAH 14 million under the civil claim of Cherkasyoblenergo.
Let us revisit the charges against Kriuchkov
Dmytro Kriuchkov and Svitlana Kuzminska were charged with embezzling and laundering more than UAH 1.5 billion from the state-owned energy enterprises Cherkasyoblenergo and Zaporizhiaoblenergo, as well as abusing their official positions.
The prosecution contended that the scheme orchestrated by the ex-MP inflicted damage exceeding UAH 1.5 billion on the state. Instead of being allocated to the national budget, these funds were diverted to private entities under Kriuchkov's control.
The case was under consideration for over three years, with court sessions totaling approximately 198 hours, according to the court. Fourteen defense lawyers participated in the proceedings. During this period, Kriuchkov missed about 45 out of 117 sessions, citing sick leave or health issues as reasons.