In Kyiv, the High Anti-Corruption Court on November 18 chose a preventive measure for former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov. He was taken into custody for a period of 60 days with the right to post bail in the amount of 51 million 600 thousand hryvnias.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Positions of the Parties in Court
During the court session, Oleksiy Chernyshov stated that the suspicion against him was unfounded, calling it “empty,” and noted that he was willing to cooperate with the investigation, but not in the case of “Energoatom,” as he claimed it did not concern him. Chernyshov also emphasized that there was no evidence of him receiving funds obtained illegally.
During the session, the former deputy prime minister referred to the suspicion against him as “empty.” He expressed his willingness to assist the investigation, but not in the case of “Energoatom,” because it allegedly “does not relate to him.” Chernyshov also stated that there supposedly was no evidence of him receiving funds obtained illegally.
Chernyshov’s defense pointed out discrepancies between the recorded conversations and the protocol of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), noting that certain phrases on which the accusation is based are absent from the recordings and could have been added later. The prosecutor, for his part, insists that the case materials document three instances of significant sums of money received by Chernyshov and his wife, and also refers to “NABU tapes.”
Essence of the Case and Other Figures
Oleksiy Chernyshov is accused of illegal enrichment in the case concerning the embezzlement of funds in “Energoatom.” Investigators documented the transfer of over 1.2 million dollars and nearly 100 thousand euros in cash to him and his trusted person. If Chernyshov is found guilty, he faces a prison sentence of 5 to 10 years with a possible ban on holding public office for up to three years. The suspect himself denies all accusations.
On November 10, NABU reported the exposure of a criminal organization that systematically received illegal benefits from “Energoatom” contractors ranging from 10% to 15% of the contract value. According to the investigation, these funds were laundered through a back office in central Kyiv, through which approximately 100 million dollars passed. Investigators note that the premises of this office “belonged to the family of former people’s deputy and now senator of the Russian Federation Andriy Derkach, who is accused by NABU and SAP in another criminal proceeding.”
Among the figures in the case are also former business partner of Volodymyr Zelensky in “Quarter 95” Timur Mindich, who, according to law enforcement, has left Ukraine, former Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko, whose resignation was initiated by the government, as well as Oleksiy Chernyshov himself. According to NABU, suspicions in the case have been announced to eight individuals, five of whom have been detained.
In June of this year, Chernyshov was also charged with abuse of power and receiving illegal benefits in particularly large amounts for himself and third parties.