Prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) and the detectives of the National Anticorruption Bureau have handed over the indictment papers to eight suspects and their lawyers in the "Onyshchenko case".
"After over three months that the defense familiarized itself with the materials of the pre-trial investigation, the SAP prosecutor on 29 May approved the indictment drafted by the detectives. On 30 May the indictment will be sent to the court," the report said.
The suspects are charged of the following:
- Participation in the criminal organization created by O. Onyshchenko with the purpose of committing grave and especially serious crimes;
- participation in crimes committed by such an organization;
- the embezzlement of property of PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannya in especially large amounts by abuse of official positions by officials;
- the legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime;
- the organization of abuse of power, ie intentional, for the purpose of obtaining an undue profit for themselves and others, using, contrary to the interests of the company, private law, irrespective of the organizational and legal form of its official authority, which entailed grave consequences;
- the organization of service fraud, which entailed grave consequences;
- alienation of the pledged property.
SAP also notes that it intends to hand over the indictment papers to nine more suspects, who are wanted, including Oleksandr Onishchenko.
SAP chief, Nazar Kholodnitsky disclosed the names of the defendants at a briefing on May 30.
He said he did not believe that preliminary hearing will be held within the 10 days as prescribed by the law.
Onyshchenko was a member of the Ukrainian parliament before being stripped of parliamentary immunity last year, after which he fled Ukraine and put on the international wanted list.