NABU detectives get court warrant to examine Kharkiv judge's call data in gas fraud case

Kyiv's Solomyansky District Court has granted access to the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) to communications data related to Judge Tetiana Denysiuk of the Kharkiv District Administrative Court.

From January 3, 2017, criminal case No. 42017000000000011 has been probed into the abuse of power and office that entailed grave consequences, Sudovyi Reporter ("Judicial Reporter") wrote, referring to a court ruling of February 27.

According to the detectives, Judge Denisyuk on December 21, 2016, handed down an unjust decision on the claim of Karpatnadrainvest LLC to Ukraine's largest state-run gas producer PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia represented by its branch, Shebelynkagazvydobuvannia.

The judge ordered that Ukrgazvydobuvannia transfer to Karpatnadrainvest volumes of natural gas extracted under a joint investment and production contract, while being aware that the gas had earlier been arrested in a high-profile "Onyshchenko case". The court ruled to transfer about 11 million tonnes of gas to the said company.

On February 28, 2017, the Kharkiv Court of Appeal overturned the ruling in respect of returning gas.

Read alsoSpain rejects Ukraine's extradition bid against fugitive MP OnyshchenkoThe NABU suggests that Judge Denisyuk and her secretary could have made beyond-the-process contacts with representatives of Karpatnadrainvest, which is considered to be controlled by a fugitive legislator Oleksandr Onyshchenko.

The court allowed monitoring of Denisyuk's mobile communications data from November 4, 2016, to February 19, 2018, as well as the corresponding data of an Ukrgazvydobuvannia official.

As UNIAN reported earlier, NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office on June 15, 2016, announced they had revealed a criminal gang whose activity under contacts with natural gas producer PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia had inflicted damage to the state to the tune of over UAH 3 billion ($113 million).

Proof collected during a pre-trial investigation shows that it is Onyshchenko who was the mastermind, the law-enforcement agencies said.

Read alsoPoroshenko says tax on withdrawn assets to be effective "vaccine" against corruptionOn July 5, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, agreed to allow criminal prosecution, detention, and arrest of Onyshchenko. Ahead of this move, having taken advantage of his parliamentary immunity, he fled Ukraine.

Twelve suspects were detained as part of the investigation. Five of them pleaded guilty to the charge and agreed to cooperate with the investigators.

According to the investigation, Onyshchenko' gang includes more than 20 people, who caused damage to Ukrgazvydobuvannia estimated at over UAH 740 million UAH ($27.9 million).

On December 18, the court permitted investigation into Onyshchenko's case in absentia. At the same time, it is known that Spain is considering the request of Ukraine to extradite him.