On August 4, the Major Economic Crimes Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor’s Office initiated the criminal proceeding against the executive officials of Naftogaz of Ukraine PJSC, GPOU’s interlocutor told EP.

It did not specify any surnames of the perpetrators, explaining only that they are suspected of violating two articles of the CC: 172 (Gross Violation of Labor Law) and 364 (Abuse of Authority or Office).

On August 9, within this proceeding, the General Prosecutor’s Office requested the list of documents from Naftogaz.

“For the clarification of circumstances, having significance for the criminal proceeding, please provide the certified copies of the current charter of Naftogaz; entry/exit journal of the Head Office for 18 and 21 July 2017”, according to GPOU’s request to Naftogaz, available to EP.

In addition, GPOU requested the time sheet of NJSC Chairman Andrei Kobolev, V.V. Shcherbenko (NJSC Director for Administrative Activities - EP) and V.M. Lupashchenko (Head of NJSC Security Department - EP) for July 18; the job description of Kobolev, Shcherbenko and Lupashchenko, acting for July-August 2017.

The proceeding was initiated based on the fact of dismissal of Igor Burak from the position of the Vice President and Chief Engineer of Ukrtransgas on August 1.

According to unofficial data, on the specified dates (18 and 21 July) Burak arrived to Naftogaz Head Office, where he had meeting Kobolev, Shcherbenko and Lupashchenko.

“They said that his dismissal was a voluntary resignation. He did not agree, that is why in late July the internal official investigation commenced, and he was fired with cause”, EP’s source in Ukrtransgas told.

“During its work, the commission collected the respective evidentiary materials, established the acts of violations and found the guilt of company executives, to which the respective disciplinary penalties, including dismissals, were applied, ”, such wording is contained in the official Ukrtransgas explanation of the decision on Burak’s dismissal.

Igor Burak is a member of the team of Ukrtransgas’ Ex-President Igor Prokopiv (currently Deputy Minister of Energy) – the opponent of Andrei Kobolev.