“The Firtash case”: the Security Service of Ukraine declared suspicions to two more heads of regional gas companies

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) declared the suspicion to the heads of the boards of Ivano-Frankivskgaz and Sumygaz. According to the investigation, these companies are controlled by the sanctioned oligarch Dmytro Firtash.

The investigators established that the officials were involved in the theft of gas from the gas transportation system of Ukraine, which is why they were charged with suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 27, Part 5 of Art. 191 of the CCU.

According to the SBU materials, preventive measures were chosen for other heads of regional gas companies — to be in custody or to pay bail: for Zakarpatgaz — 169 million hryvnias, Khmelnytskygaz — 228 million hryvnias, Vinnytsiagaz — 186 million hryvnias, Lvivgaz — 155 million hryvnias and Dnipropetrovskgaz — 160 million hryvnias.

• The Security Service and the Bureau of Economic Security exposed the scheme of misappropriation of state gas worth billions of hryvnias, in which the officials of Oblgas Firtash acted. Investigators say that they embezzled money allocated for the purchase of gas for heating the homes of Ukrainians. Budget losses are estimated at 18 billion hryvnias. Nine persons involved, in particular Dmytro Firtash, were declared of the suspicion. Five of them are hiding abroad.
• Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash owns most of Ukrainian regional gas companies, enterprises of the metallurgical complex and other large companies. He is currently in Austria.
• On March 17, the Bureau of Economic Security and the Security Service of Ukraine already searched 14 gas distribution companies linked to oligarch Dmytro Firtash.