Investigation reveals almost UAH 345 million in losses from crimes of ex-MP and FSB agent Shepelev - OGP

Former MP Oleksandr Shepelev, who is accused of treason, working for the Russian FSB, and a series of contract killings of bankers, caused almost UAH 345 million in damages by his crimes committed in 2009. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office in response to a request from UNN.

 Upon consideration of your request for information, we would like to inform you of the following: the total amount of damages established by the pre-trial investigation as a result of the alleged offenses committed in 2009 by the person named in the request amounts to UAH 344,864,292.12 

The PGO reminded that two court verdicts had entered into force against Shepelev. In particular, we are talking about the verdict of the Desnianskyi District Court of Kyiv of August 7, 2020, by which the former MP was sentenced under Part 1 of Article 369 (offer, promise or provision of an undue benefit to an official) and Part 2 of Article 393 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (escape from a place of imprisonment or custody, committed repeatedly) to 7 years in prison. This sentence was handed down in the case of his escape from the Lukianivske SIZO by bribing guards.

Also, the verdict of the Obolonskyi District Court of Kyiv of August 3, 2022, by which Shepelev was found guilty of committing a criminal offense under Part 3 of Article 27, paragraphs 6, 11, 12, Part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (organization of a contract killing by a group of persons for mercenary motives), has entered into force. The former MP was sentenced to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property, except for housing.

"During the pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings on suspicion of the former MP and his wife (Halyna Shepeleva, who is suspected, like her husband, of embezzling Rodovid Bank funds - ed. The estimated value of the seized property exceeds the amount of damage caused to the state and can fully cover the claims filed in criminal proceedings," the Prosecutor General's Office added.

It is noted that during the pre-trial investigation and trial, Shepelev did not admit guilt to the offenses he was charged with, and did not take any actions to return the funds to compensate for the damage he caused. The Prosecutor General's Office also noted that during the pre-trial investigation, funds legalized by Shepelev as a result of committing crimes on the accounts of non-resident companies of which he is the ultimate owner were seized.

At the same time, the prosecutor's office added that five criminal cases against Oleksandr Shepelev are currently being heard in the courts of Kyiv and Kyiv region. In addition, the High Anti-Corruption Court is considering a criminal proceeding dated August 28, 2013, on charges of Shepelev of committing crimes under Part H of Article 27, Part 5 of Article 191 (organization of misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property by abuse of office by a group of persons on a particularly large scale) and Part H of Article 27, Part H of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (organization of legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means by a group of persons on a particularly large scale).

Recall

Earlier it became known that prosecutor Victoria Orshavska filed a complaint  with the HCJ against Supreme Court judges Vyacheslav Marynych, Volodymyr Korol and Alla Makarovets, who considered the cassation in Shepelev's case of escape from custody and on July 6, 2023, changed the sentence of the courts of previous instances, which almost released Shepelev. According to the automatic distribution, the complaint in Shepelev's case will be considered by the first-ever HCJ member judge who fights on the front line against Russia, Olena Kovbiy.

In particular, the panel of the Supreme Court decided to close one of the episodes of the case, which concerned bribery, due to insufficient evidence. In addition, the judges significantly reduced Shepelev's sentence by crediting him for the period of his stay in the Russian pre-trial detention center from March 19, 2015 to July 8, 2016. At that time, Russian law enforcement officers detained him following an extradition request from Ukraine.

While the issue of his extradition to Ukraine was allegedly being resolved, Shepelev was actively cooperating with the Russian Federal Security Service and was supposed to be held in a pre-trial detention center. A year later, Russia still refused to extradite the fugitive MP to Ukrainian justice, citing threats to its own national security.

The Supreme Court panel also used the 'Savchenko law' and counted Shepeleva's stay in the pre-trial detention center on charges in other cases as part of his sentence.

Thus, according to the decision of the cassation instance, Shepelev has fully served his sentence under the verdict of the Desnianskyi District Court of Kyiv of August 7, 2020.

In addition, due to the closure of the bribery cases, the property of the former MP will not be confiscated in this particular case. Experts interviewed by UNN previously questioned the objectivity of the Supreme Court's decision, speaking frankly about the corruption component.

In particular, according to Mykhailo Zhernakov, Chairman of the Board of the DEJURE Foundation, the Supreme Court judges could have received a monetary reward for this decision. Political analyst Oleksandr Kochetkov believes that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) should check the integrity of the judgeswho made this decision in the Shepelev case.