On April 22, 2025, the HACC AC began considering appeals from the defense against the verdict in the case of former MP Dmytro Kriuchkov. After addressing the procedural aspects, the presiding judge stated the reasons for the appeals. The defense attorneys of one of the accused also spoke.
The defendants and their defense lawyers refer to the incompleteness of the proceedings, particularly the violation of the defendant's right to defense, the principle of equality of the parties, and the right to a fair trial, as well as the incorrect application of criminal liability legislation. Interestingly, one of the defense lawyers believes that the case should be closed due to the expiration of the pre-trial investigation period and a violation of the rules of jurisdiction.
The SAPO prosecutor provided written objections to the appeals, in which, in particular, he noted compliance with the procedure for extending the pre-trial investigation period and the rules of jurisdiction. He considers the remaining arguments groundless and agrees with the conclusions of the court of first instance.
On January 9, 2025, the HACC found Dmytro Kriuchkov and Svitlana Kuzminska, his domestic partner and former acting chairman of the management board of Cherkasyoblenergo, guilty of embezzling more than UAH 1.5 billion from Cherkasyoblenergo and Zaporizhzhyaoblenergo. The HACC sentenced Kriuchkov to 15 years in prison, with confiscation of all his property, a fine of UAH 17,000, and a ban on 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.