NABU Summons Ex-MP Vecherko in Coal Case

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau summons former MP Volodymyr Vecherko, whom the NABU and SAPO suspect of organizing abuses that led to over UAH 12 million in losses, on June 13 for investigative actions.

The corresponding summons has been published on the NABU website.

NABU, in accordance with the requirements of Articles 133, 135, 137 and 297-5 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine, summons the suspect Vecherko Volodymyr Mykolayovych, born on November 7, 1953, in respect of whom, by the decision of the panel of judges of the Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court dated May 5, 2025, permission was granted to conduct a special pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings, to appear before NABU on June 13, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. to participate in conducting investigative (procedural) actions as a suspect in criminal proceedings on the grounds of a criminal offense (crime) provided for in Part 3 of Article 27 - Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine

Previously, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court granted permission to conduct an in absentia investigation into former People's Deputy Volodymyr Vecherko.

As a reminder, Volodymyr Vecherko is a suspect in the EBK database.

NABU and SAPO previously reported suspicions to former Deputy Minister of Energy Maksym Nemchynov and other officials. According to the investigation, at the end of July 2022, due to military operations, the coal market in Ukraine was limited. To ensure the stable passage of the 2022/2023 heating season, the Cabinet of Ministers obliged the state enterprise "Ukrvugilya" to supply energy to certain electricity producers, in particular, the state PJSC "Centrenergo".

However, according to the investigation, the beneficiary of a private company that had a contract with Ukrvuhilya, in collusion with the former deputy minister of energy, persuaded the director of the state-owned enterprise to sell coal to his company, despite the existing debt to the state of over 50 million hryvnias. As a result, Ukrvuhilya supplied the private company with almost 24 thousand tons of raw materials, which it resold for a profit of almost 20 million hryvnias.

At the same time, PJSC "Centrenergo" received 12.5 thousand tons of coal short and was forced to buy it back in October 2022 at a significantly higher price, overpaying almost 12 million hryvnias.