Ex-Parliament deputy and ex-head of the Verkhovna Rada’s fuel and energy committee Mykola Martynenko has been served with a notice to appear for questioning at the behest of Czech law-enforcement officials as a witness in an international case, the press service of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has said.
According to the statement, Martynenko was served with the notice on November 5, 2018.
“I information on the investigation by the Czech authorities of the criminal proceedings is confidential and is not subject to disclosure,” NABU said.
“We emphasize that NABU detectives served the notice in accordance with provisions of the Ukraine”s Criminal Procedure Code,” the agency said.
As earlier reported, Martynenko is suspected of organizing the large-scale embezzlement by an organized group and a criminal organization of some else’s property through abuse of office; creating a criminal organization for the purpose of committing particularly serious crimes, managing such an organization, participating in it and in crimes committed by such an organization; as well as organizing the large-scale legalization (laundering) by a criminal organization of proceeds from crime.
Other suspects in this proceeding are the current leaders of VostGOK, the Nuclear Fuel State Concern, NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, PJSC United Mining-Chemical Company and a structural subdivision of the Energoatom nuclear energy generating company.
NABU detectives started the investigation into the embezzlement of Energoatom’s funds worth EUR 6.4 million in December 2015. On October 25, 2017, the former MP was notified about the suspicion as part of this proceeding under Part 5, Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement or possession of property through abuse of office).
The investigation into the embezzlement of VostGOK’s funds worth $17.28 million was also launched in December 2015. On April 20, 2017, the ex-MP and former chairman of the parliamentary committee on fuel and energy complex was notified of the suspicion in committing crimes under Part 3, Article 27, Part 4, Article 28, Part 5, Article 191 and Part 1, Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (organizing the large-scale embezzlement by a criminal organization of someone else’s property through abuse of office, creating a criminal organization for the purpose of committing particularly serious crimes, running such an organization, participating in it and in crimes committed by such an organization).
In November 2017, the procedural leader, SAPO prosecutor, decided to merge the two criminal proceedings into one. Eleven persons have currently been declared suspects in this joint criminal proceeding, and five of them were placed on the wanted list.
On November 30, 2015, Martynenko reported the abdication of his deputy powers due to the corruption scandal around him and, according to him, an “information campaign” against him. On December 1, he registered a respective statement in the Verkhovna Rada. On December 22, 2015, the parliament adopted a draft resolution on the abdication of his deputy powers.
On April 20, 2017, NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors detained Martynenko and First Deputy CEO of Naftogaz Ukrainy Serhiy Pereloma on suspicion of committing crimes under Part 1, Article 255 (the creation of a criminal organization) and Part 5, Article 191 (misappropriation, embezzlement of property or possession of it through abuse of office) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
On April 24, 2017, Judge of the Solomiansky District Court of Kyiv Oleksandr Bobrovnyk refused to arrest Martynenko with the alternative to post Hr 300 million and released him under the personal recognizance of a number of deputies.
