03 January 2023, Tuesday, 18:40 762

HACC recognized its mistake in the case of Ukrgasbank, says Kyrylo Shevchenko

Editor: Антоніна Соловйова

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Kirill Shevchenko. Photo: ukrgasbank

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On his Facebook page, former Head of the National Bank Kyrylo Shevchenko, says that the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) agreed for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) to extend the terms of investigation into the case of the ex-head of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) for another six months, thereby recognizing that the evidence base in the case was insufficient and there were no necessary grounds for choosing the most stringent preventive measure.

“Today, the HACC granted the NABU’s request to extend the investigation for another six months. Let me remind you that on December 8, the same court and the same judge chose the most severe preventive measure for me. That is, 3 weeks ago, the court believed that the investigation had enough evidence to declare suspicions, announce a search, and choose the strictest preventive measure. Yet, only after 25 days, the accusation bubble of the NABU bursts, they ask to give them another year, the fifth year. The court agrees that there is no evidence base in the case and the NABU should be given another six months to imitate ‘numerous investigative actions’, wrote the ex-head of the National Bank.

Kyrylo Shevchenko stresses that today's decision of the HACC to extend the terms of the investigation and the decision of the same court to choose the most stringent preventive measure of December 8 contradict each other, and testify to the groundlessness of the accusations.

“Once again, the HACC confirms by its decision that there is nothing in the investigation, and this whole performance with announced suspicions and search was only a PR campaign of the NABU. As you can see, there are two decisions of the same court that are mutually exclusive. I would like to ask the justice authorities which one is wrong. Or maybe both?” says Kyrylo Shevchenko.

The ex-head of the National Bank also stresses that legitimacy of his activities as Chairman of the Board of Ukrgasbank was confirmed by the conclusions of audits and called on the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) to intervene in the situation.

"Maybe the supervisory authorities, namely the SAPO, should pay attention to the fact that the NABU has been investigating into the case without a crime for almost 4 years, and is going to do it for another six months, waste taxpayers' money and eventually stop it. Let me just remind you that legality of my activities as Chairman of the Board of Ukrgasbank has been repeatedly confirmed by inspections of the world's leading audit companies and the World Bank," says the ex-official.

Kyrylo Shevchenko says that he sees signs of engagement and political motivation in the actions of law enforcement officers and stresses that the prosecution of the third consecutive head of the NBU undermines the country's image.

"Does political expediency today dominate not only the ‘old’ law enforcement agencies, but also the ‘new’ ones? If so, I recommend that the initiators consider that political persecution for the third consecutive head of the National Bank disgraces not only you, but also the state. The NABU case against me is politically motivated, artificially created and does not contain any evidence. It will fall apart in any impartial court. If, of course, it comes to the court," writes the ex-head of the NBU.

It should be noted that on October 6, 2022, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office reported suspicion of illegal actions to Head of the National Bank Kyrylo Shevchenko during his leadership of Ukrgasbank. The statement of law enforcement officers referred to the alleged illegal activities of officials of the state-owned JSB Ukrgasbank, which caused losses of more than UAH 206 million. On October 24, the NABU put Kyrylo Shevchenko on the wanted list. In response, the ex-official called the actions of law enforcement officers politicized, indicating that he was registered in the EU country and officially informed the NABU and the SAPO about his actual whereabouts. On December 8, the High Anti-Corruption Court chose in absentia detention for Kyrylo Shevchenko as a preventive measure. The ex-head of the NBU, in turn, noted that the court's refusal to conduct a hearing open to the press and all the defense petitions without exception once again indicate political persecution, and announced his intention to appeal the decision of the HACC.