The High Anti-Corruption Court allowed Andrii Kobolev, the ex-head of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, who is accused of illegally receiving a USD 10 million bonus, to temporarily leave the country.
This is evidenced by court materials, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
Kobolev asked the court to grant him permission to travel abroad in February-March 2024 and permission to temporary issue of passports.
His lawyer explained in court that since his client had the opportunity to contribute to the national security and defense of the state by performing tasks outside the state, he needs cancellation of the obligation to submit passports for traveling abroad.
At the court hearing, the prosecutor objected to the granting of the petitions and noted that the obligation to submit passports for traveling abroad contributes to the fulfillment of the tasks of criminal proceedings and reduces the risk of the accused hiding from the court.
According to the prosecutor, the departure of the accused outside the country for a long period of time led to the disruption of already scheduled court hearings in March, which will have negative consequences for the criminal proceedings.
The prosecutor also indicated that the letter received by the court did not specify the exact dates of Kobolev's planned departures from the country and the dates of his return.
On February 20, the High Anti-Corruption Court made a decision and granted Kobolev permission to travel outside Ukraine from February 26, 2024 to March 2, 2024, inclusively.
He was allowed to temporarily obtain passports for traveling abroad, which he submitted to the Central Interregional Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine.
Kobolev was also ordered to hand over (return) his passport for traveling abroad to the State Migration Service of Ukraine and to appear at the High Anti-Corruption Court at the following address: Kyiv, 42A, Khreshchatyk Street, for the purpose of checking arrival in Ukraine.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Kobolev's friends are demanding the return of more than UAH 35 million, which they paid for him as a bail.
Previously, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SACPO) prosecutor did not allow Kobolev to go abroad three times.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reported that at first the former chairman of the board of the Naftogaz of Ukraine national joint-stock company, Andrii Kobolev, planned to receive a bonus of UAH 62 million, but in fact he draws himself a bonus of UAH 260 million.
It should be noted that, according to the documents and information seized by NABU from Naftogaz, Kobolev, contrary to the decision of the supervisory board, did not inform its members of the final list of employees before bonuses, as well as the final amounts of bonuses to himself and other employees before the actual payment of the bonus.
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