Somewhat earlier, dissatisfied with the fact that the court rejected the request for the arrest of Andrei Kobolev, representatives of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office filed an appeal against the court’s decision.
The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court determined the ex-head of NJSC Naftogaz Andriy Kobolev 230 million hryvnias of collateral with obligations. Andrei Kobolev himself wrote about this on his Facebook page.
“The VAKS appeal canceled the previous decision and set a bail of about UAH 230 million. While I think about what to do with this, I will not comment further,” the former head of Naftogaz commented on the court’s decision.
In addition, according to journalist Andrey Novikov, who is following the “Kobolev case”, the ex-head of Naftogaz was given the following obligations:
arrive at the investigating authorities and the court on the first call; do not leave Ukraine; report a change in place of residence; do not communicate with witnesses; hand over a passport.
The case of Andrei Kobolev: what is known about him
On January 19, 2023, NABU and SAP informed Andriy Kobolev of suspicion of misappropriation in 2018 of more than 260 million hryvnias.
According to investigators, the money was paid to the former head of NJSC Naftogaz as bonuses for winning a case in the Stockholm arbitration in a lawsuit against Gazprom.
The competent authorities argue that Kobolev could not qualify for such high payments. According to the current legislation of Ukraine, the bonus fund for top managers of state-owned companies is limited to 36 salaries per year. Thus, the ex-head of Naftogaz could only receive 37.48 million hryvnia in bonuses.
Therefore, the SAP believes that the chairman of the board deliberately concealed from the members of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the supervisory board of the company the information that bonus limits were set for the heads of state-owned enterprises.
Kobolev responded to the suspicion of a criminal offense reported to him.
“I immediately returned to Ukraine so as not to give rise to accusations that I had fled somewhere or was hiding. I am going to prove my case,” the official wrote on his Facebook page.
On January 23, the Supreme Anti-Corruption Court refused the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office’s request to take Andrei Kobolev into custody.
Representatives of SAPO filed an appeal in connection with this decision.
Recall that in April 2021, it became known about the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers to dismiss Andriy Kobolev from the post of chairman of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine. Kobolev has headed the company since March 2014.
Focus also wrote that on February 1, 2022, the press service of the State Bureau of Investigation announced searches in the house and office of the former head of Naftogaz, Andrei Kobolev. Details of the events were not disclosed.
