On 19 June, a hearing was held in the case against MP Yaroslav Dubnevych, who is accused of organizing the misappropriation of natural gas worth over UAH 2.1 billion.
The MP has not appeared in court but has attempted to join the hearings via video conference. He had previously been denied permission to attend online but today was allowed to connect solely to present a motion and explain the reasons for his absence.
Dubnevych told the judges that he was unable to attend the hearings in person due to alleged political persecution and related threats to his life. He also asked the court not to inquire about his current location until he consulted with his lawyer. However, the court denied his motion, citing a lack of evidence to support his claims and the fact that he had never appeared at a hearing and that a special pre-trial investigation had been conducted in his case.
According to Dubnevych, he is currently receiving medical treatment abroad. This, he claimed, is why he left Ukraine on 8 October 2023, just before he was officially notified of suspicion. Since October 2023, he has been wanted internationally.
In March 2025, HACC launched preparatory proceedings in this case.
The substantive hearing on the case against the other participants in the scheme is already underway at the HACC.