The deputy head of the Ministry of Energy and the head of an energy company from the Mykolaiv region were detained on suspicion of bribery

Detention of people suspected of accepting bribes. Photo: SBU and NABU

In Kyiv, law enforcement officers detained the current Deputy Minister of Energy on suspicion of receiving a bribe. Three of his accomplices were also detained, one of them the head of an energy company from the Mykolaiv region.

This was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine.

The publication «Ukrainian Pravda» indicates that it is about Oleksandr Kheilo.

According to NABU, the official received a bribe for granting permission to export mining equipment from the front-line area.

Law enforcement officers point out that in the spring of this year, representatives of the mining industry, namely the Lviv-Volyn coal basin, turned to the Deputy Minister of Energy to obtain permission to evacuate equipment from the combat zone and use it in mines.

The Deputy Minister of Energy promised to transfer equipment from the mines of the front-line region of Donetsk region into use, but demanded money for it.

«We are talking about the unique and scarce equipment of one of the state-owned coal companies, which is located within the boundaries of the hottest direction of the eastern front — Pokrovske,» the law enforcement officers added.

The SBU also reported that the Deputy Minister of Energy involved three accomplices in the illegal activities: a private energy trader, the head of an energy company from the Mykolayiv region, and the head of the mining plant from which the evacuation of the equipment was to begin.

The funds were to be transferred in five installments of $100,000 at each meeting. During the transfer of the third tranche of the bribe to one of the accomplices, he was exposed «red handed».

All four suspects were detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. They were notified of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Detention of people suspected of accepting bribes. Photo: SBU and NABU

Detention of people suspected of accepting bribes. Photo: SBU and NABU

Detention of people suspected of accepting bribes. Photo: SBU and NABU

Earlier, on August 1, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) detained the head of Ukrtransbezpeka for taking bribes from carriers in the Mykolaiv region.

We will remind that the employees of the SBI reported the suspicion to the commander of the department on one of the ships of the Navy of Ukraine, who is suspected of extorting bribes from subordinates for a day off on land.