Ex-head of energy company from Mykolaiv convicted of money laundering

The former head of the Mykolaiv Electricity Supply Company pleaded guilty to money laundering and received a probationary sentence. As part of the agreement, he is to transfer $150,000 and more than UAH 11 million to support the Armed Forces.

This was reported by the press service of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

On May 9, the High Anti-Corruption Court approved a plea agreement between the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the former head of Mykolaiv Electricity Supply Company LLC.

The defendant was found guilty of money laundering under Part 1 of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and sentenced to 5 years in prison with a one-year ban on holding public office. However, he was released from serving the main sentence on probation for 1 year under Part 2 of Article 75 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

During the probationary period, the defendant is obliged to periodically report to the probation authority, notify of any changes in his place of residence, work or study, and refrain from communicating with certain persons specified in the verdict.

The agreement was concluded within the framework of a case involving the transfer of USD 150 thousand and over UAH 11 million to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The verdict may be appealed to the HACC Appeals Chamber within 30 days from the date of its announcement in accordance with the requirements of the CPC of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, the director of Mykolaiv Electricity Supply Company LLC is Yevhen Lut, who is suspected of assisting in the bribe transfer to the Deputy Minister of Energy. Lut acted as an intermediary in the transfer of the second tranche. The official and his partners entered into an agreement with the director of a coal company in western Ukraine to receive a bribe of $500,000.

Also, according to the decision of the Court of Appeal, Serhiy Bezdolnyi, an employee of a utility company in Mykolaiv, will remain in custody. He is involved in a corruption case related to the purchase of street lamps. According to the investigation, Bezdolnyi, together with an entrepreneur from Lviv region, organized a scheme to purchase streetlights at inflated prices: in May 2023, they purchased streetlights worth UAH 44.7 million, and in December - more than UAH 26 million. According to the tax authorities, the total budget losses amounted to more than UAH 6 million.

Анна Бальчінос