The higher anti-corruption court (HACC) arrested ex-MP Serhii Pashynskyi with an alternative bail of 272 million hryvnias. He is suspected of participating in a criminal organization, due to which the state suffered losses in the amount of 967 million hryvnias in 2014-2018. It is also called the "Kurchenkoʼs fuel (or oil products) case".
This was reported by the non-governmental organization Transparency International Ukraine.
Serhii Pashynskyi will be held in custody until April 25, if bail is not posted for him. The prosecutor asked for bail in the amount of 299 million hryvnias. The Armed Forces officers — Myroslav Hai, Ihor Lapin and Ivan Lisovyi — wanted to act as surety for the ex-MP.
In total, the trial of Pashinskyiʼs arrest lasted three days.
In addition to Pashynskyi, five more people are suspected in the case. The case is called "Kurchenkoʼs fuel" because oil products seized back in 2014 were imported by the SEPEK company controlled by oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko.
The case of Serhiy Kurchenko
Serhii Kurchenko is a Ukrainian businessman, oligarch, owner of the East European Fuel-Energy Company LLC (EEFEC LLC) group of companies, ex-owner and president of the “Metalist” football club (Kharkiv). After the Revolution of Dignity, he fled Ukraine and is now in Moscow.
According to the estimates of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the criminal schemes of importing and selling oil products into the territory of Ukraine by the EEFEC LLC group of companies caused at least seven billion hryvnias in losses to the Ukrainian budget. Several criminal cases were opened against Kurchenko, his property and the property of enterprises were seized. As a person from Yanukovychʼs entourage, Kurchenko came under EU sanctions.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) believes that Kurchenko appropriated and legalized the property and funds of a number of state-owned enterprises worth more than 12 billion hryvnias.