Martynenko sentenced to a year in prison and 16 months of probation
Photo: nfront.org.ua
On 26 June the Federal criminal court of Switzerland in Bellinzona found guilty the former Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (fraction “popular front”) Mykola Martynenko laundering in the composition of criminal groups around €2.8 million through a Swiss financial system. This was reported by the program “Schemes” (project of “Radio Liberty” and “NTU”).
The court also found guilty of another citizen of Ukraine – Pavlo Skalenko. He, along with ex-Deputy appears in Ukrainian criminal proceedings, which led the National anti-corruption Bureau and the Specialized anticorruption Prosecutor’s office, noted “the Scheme”.
Martynenko has defined punishment in the form of 28 months in prison, 12 of which – “unconditional sentence” and 16 conventional. Salenko was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment.
Ukrainians suspected that they had opened in Swiss banks accounts, which bought the property and assets in Switzerland and other countries and thus laundered money illegally obtained in Ukraine and the Czech Republic. According to the investigation, Martynenko charged Salenko to create an offshore company in Panama (Central anti-corruption noted that we are talking about Bradcrest). An accomplice then opened Bank accounts in Switzerland on behalf of the company, pointing in the documents of the beneficial owner of the assets of Mykola Martynenko.
The case was submitted to the Swiss Federal Supreme court in December 2019.
The defense has appealed the verdict to the court of appeal, about it the press service Martynenko told the newspaper NV. Policies, according to Swiss law, is presumed innocent until passed all the courts, said the press service.
The former MP stressed that he had not committed a crime and strongly disagree with the court’s decision.
“Because of the global quarantine and the closing of borders I was unable to attend the meeting of the court of first instance and to provide their explanations. I wasn’t able to answer the court’s questions and witness all the hollowness of references to my name in this matter. The court’s decision is interim and not final,” he said.
The press service also claims that Salenko sentenced not to the real, to probation.
According to NABU, Martynenko, being an MP and head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on fuel and energy complex, nuclear policy and nuclear safety, organized corruption scheme to take possession of the money of the state enterprise “national nuclear energy generating company “Energoatom”. During 2008-2012 “Energoatom” conducted several tenders for the purchase of equipment, but their condition, according to detectives, was set in such a way that they were told only one bidder – a Czech company Škoda JS. Equipment “Energoatom” was delivered at inflated 15-20% of the price, “the trading margin” under the guise of payment for consulting services, Škoda JS has translated into accounts of the Panamanian companies Bradcrest. The NAB believes that as a result of this scheme, the Ukrainian state was damaged in the amount of €6.4 million.
22 APR 2017 Solomensky regional court of Kiev chose a measure of restraint Martynenko in the form of personal guarantees. He stood up the 18 politicians.
SAP gave the court an indictment against Martynenko in may 2018. Now the criminal proceedings are considered in the Higher anti-corruption court.
