Rostyslav Shurma was issued a protocol for failure to resolve a conflict of interest

The National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC) drew up a protocol on administrative offenses against the deputy head of the the Office of the President (OP) Rostyslav Shurma for violating the requirements for the prevention and settlement of conflicts of interest.

This is written by the press service of NAPC.

The agency found out that in 2022, Rostyslav Shurma organized an electricity committee under his chairmanship at the Office of the President. It was attended by the Ministry of Energy, the National Commission for State Regulation in the Fields of Energy and Communal Services (NCSREC), PJSC NEC Ukrenergo, SE Market Operator, SE Guaranteed Buyer.

NAPC believes that Rostyslav Shurma had a private interest, but did not report the existing conflict of interest, continuing to participate in the committeeʼs decision-making.

The agency also established that Rostyslav Shurmaʼs brother Oleh is the ultimate beneficial owner of seven companies that produce electricity from alternative sources.

From 2019 to 2021, Rostyslav Shurma was a member of the supervisory board of JSC "Closed non-diversified venture corporate investment fund "Helios". The fund is a co-founder of the three companies listed above.

In July 2022, the first meeting of the committee was held under the chairmanship of Rostyslav Shurma. At that time, SE "Guaranteed Buyer" was in debt (254 million hryvnias) for electricity purchased from Oleh Shurmaʼs companies.

The source for the settlement with Oleh Shurmaʼs companies was money from "Ukrenergo", which comes to the "Guaranteed Buyer" as payment for the service of ensuring an increase in the share of electricity production from alternative sources.

In order to provide the "Guaranteed Buyer" with an additional source of financing and repay the debt to his brotherʼs company, Rostyslav Shurma, at the committee meetings on August 23 and September 7, 2022, encouraged "Ukrenergo" and the "Guaranteed Buyer" to sign acts of acceptance and transfer of the services provided for January, May, July, October 2021 and for February-June 2022.

NAPC concluded that the committeeʼs decisions created conditions for the success of Rostyslav Shurmaʼs brother — Oleh — business.

The case was referred to the court. The court can find Shurma guilty and impose a fine. After a court decision, data on the official may be entered into the Unified State Register of persons who have committed corruption or corruption-related offenses.