The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has granted a motion by the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) to reinstate procedural obligations on Andriy Kobolyev, the former chairman of Naftogaz of Ukraine.
According to the SAPO press service, Kobolyev is now required to:
- Notify the court of any change of residence.
- Refrain from communicating with witnesses.
- Surrender all passports for international travel to the State Migration Service.
On 1 November, a SAPO prosecutor requested an extension of the procedural duties tied to the preventive measure, which included bail set at UAH 107.127 million. However, court hearings scheduled for 5 and 8 November were postponed, leading to the obligations expiring on 12 November.
Despite repeated SAPO requests to expedite the motion, the court did not schedule an additional hearing before the obligations lapsed.
Details of the case
Kobolyev is accused of abusing his official position in 2018 by initiating a decision to award himself a $10 million bonus as Naftogaz CEO. Investigators allege he misled the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the Supervisory Board by concealing the maximum allowable bonus amounts.
In 2018, Kobolyev allegedly received bonuses exceeding the legal limit by UAH 229,250,410.
In previous court rulings:
- The HACC reduced Kobolyev’s bail by UAH 122 million.
- His electronic monitoring bracelet was removed.
- His procedural obligations were temporarily lifted in November 2024.
On 20 November, SAPO announced that the lapse allowed Kobolyev to travel abroad. Kobolyev responded by posting a photo from Kyiv’s Golden Gate and reaffirmed that he had attended all court hearings. In a statement to LB.ua, he confirmed the return of his passport and pledged to keep the court informed of his movements.