Former Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev has had his pre-trial restraint extended for another two months, the press service of the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) has said.
"On 17 April 2023, at the request of the NABU detective, agreed by the SAPO prosecutor, the HACC investigating judge extended the term of the commitments imposed on the suspect, the former chairman of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, for another two months," it said.
The commitments in question are:
· to appear at every request of the detective, prosecutor and court,
· not to leave Kyiv and Kyiv Region without the permission of the detective, prosecutor or court,
· to notify the prosecutor, detective or court of any change of residence,
· to refrain from communicating with a certain circle of witnesses in the case,
· to deposit their passport(s) for travelling abroad with the relevant authority,
· to wear an electronic control device.
It is noted that, in accordance with the decision of the HACC Appeals Chamber of 1 March 2023 on the choice of a preventive measure, the suspect is obliged to post UAH 230 million bail and fulfil the procedural obligations determined by the court.
Despite the fact that the decision to impose this measure of restraint was made on 1 March 2023, it has not been implemented as of today – the funds have not been paid in full.
As of 14 April, the HACC again failed to extend the pre-trial investigation in Kobolyev's case. The court left without consideration a new motion filed by the NABU.
Kobolyev is suspected of embezzling more than UAH 229 million in 2018, which is part of the bonus he received for defeating Gazprom in the Stockholm arbitration. The former Naftogaz CEO was notified of the suspicion in January this year. The investigation found that the head of the company allegedly issued an order to award bonuses to the company's employees in violation of the law, on the basis of which he was paid the aforementioned millions for extraordinary achievements. The investigation also claims that Kobolyev was not entitled to such a bonus, as the maximum amount is limited by a Cabinet of Ministers resolution.