The High Anti-Corruption Court will judge in absentia the former Deputy Director of the Odesa Port Plant

The High Anti-Corruption Court will judge in absentia the former Deputy Director of Odesa Port Plant PJSC Mykola Shchurikov.

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office accused Mykola Shchurikov, as well as the First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz Ukrainy NJSC, Serhii Pereloma, of appropriation and embezzling UAH 205 million (USD 7.73 million).

The court put Shchurikov on the international wanted list, Slovo and Delo reports. In this regard, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office prosecutor asked the court to grant permission for the trial in absentia, since the latter is abroad and has not yet returned.

“The petition of the prosecutor for the implementation of special court proceedings against the accused is to be satisfied. For the High Anti-Corruption Court to implement the special court proceedings in criminal proceedings against the accused on charges of committing a criminal offense under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine,” the decision reads.

Earlier, at a preparatory meeting, the judges decided to impose a monetary penalty in ammount of UAH 7357 (USD 277.1) on the former Deputy Director of the OPP for failure to appear in court on July 2nd, August 3rd, September 17th and October 29th.

According to the prosecution, in the period from May to December 2015, Shchurikov and Pereloma organized a scheme for withdrawal by purchasing at inflated prices of natural gas produced by Ukrnafta PJSC for the needs of the Odesa Port Plant.

As USM previously reported, a new composition of the Supervisory Board of the enterprise arrived at the Odesa Port Plant (OPP). The candidates were approved at a remote meeting of shareholders of the OPP, which took place on October 1st.