Court ruling allows former Naftogaz CEO leave Ukraine – reports
Source: Anti-Corruption Center
Former Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolev who was accused of misappropriating 229.25 million hryvnias in bonuses is footlooose again after after the High Anti-Corruption Court hasn’t not extended restrictions on him during the court hearing Wednesday.
The Anti-Corruption Action Center found out that Kobolyev’s obligations expired on November 12, meaning he doesn’t need to notify officials about changes in his place of residence, contacts with witnesses, and his international travel.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) filed a motion on November 1 to extend these obligations, 12 days before their expiration. However, hearings scheduled for November 5 and 8 were removed from the court calendar.
On November 1, the court granted Kobolyev permission to travel abroad from November 4 to November 25.
The former powerful executive faces charges over the allegedly unlawful bonus he received for leading Naftogaz to victory in a Stockholm arbitration case. Prosecutors argued that the bonus far exceeded legal limits – Kobolyev received a payment equivalent to $10 million while maximum permissible amount was $900,000.
Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.
The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.
In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.
Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.
Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.