Position: former deputy chairman, ex-deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council.
Sphere of corruption: energy.
Region of corruption activity: Kharkiv region.
Qualification: the actions of the ex-official were qualified under Part 3 of Art. 27, Part 5 of Art. 191, Part 3 of Art. 27, Part 3 of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Status: at large.
Case story : The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office exposed an organized group involved in seizing electricity from the Unified Energy System (UES) and legalizing funds from its sale.
In April 2022, a former deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council organized a scheme to steal electricity from Ukrenergo for 58.44 million hryvnias. In particular, he involved two accomplices in the activity: the founder and director of a private company in Kyiv that trades in energy resources.
According to media sources, we are talking about:
● former deputy and former deputy chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Council Volodymyr Skorobagach;
● Director Irina Khayanova;
● founder Denis Khokhlachev.
The group members pre-acquired three companies with electricity supply licenses, which in June 2022 received electricity from the United Energy System of Ukraine and transferred it to a controlled company for sale to end consumers. At the same time, the financial responsibility for the received electricity fell on the aforementioned laying companies.
"Ukrenergo" never received the funds from the electricity sold, and in order to hide the sources of the money, they transferred them to the accounts of financial companies under the guise of loan repayment. The financial companies, for a fee of 0.5% of the transfer amount, transferred these funds to other controlled companies, which transferred them to the account of a non-resident company registered in Bulgaria.
As a result of the implementation of the scheme, PJSC "NPC "Ukrenergo" incurred losses in the amount of UAH 58.44 million.
The former deputy and director of the enterprise was notified in absentia of suspicion under: Part 3, 5 of Art. 27 Part 5 of Art. 191; Part 3 of Art. 27, Part 3 of Art. 209. The founder of a private company was charged with suspicion under Part 5 of Art. 191, Part 3 of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The perpetrators face up to 12 years in prison.
On January 29, 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court took into custody in absentia the former Deputy Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Council Volodymyr Skorobagach and the director of the private company Powerstock LLC Iryna Khasianova in the case of misappropriation of electricity.
The investigating judge of the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine, at the request of the NABU detectives, approved by the SAPO prosecutor, chose preventive measures in the form of detention for two members of an organized group involved in the seizure of electricity from the United Energy System of Ukraine and the legalization of funds from its sale. These are the former deputy chairman, former deputy of the Kharkiv Regional Council and the director of a private company. After the detention of the above-mentioned suspects and their delivery to the place of pre-trial investigation, the investigating judge will decide on the application of this preventive measure
Individuals potentially involved in corruption schemes: in addition to Skorobogach, the scheme also involves the founder and director of a private company in Kyiv that trades in energy resources.
Assets: Volodymyr Skorobagach indicated in his 2022 declaration that he owns seven land plots. In addition, the official uses an apartment, a residential building, land plots, and non-residential premises that directly belong to Skorobagach's relatives.
The wife of the former official, Viktoriya Skorobagach, owns 28 land plots and non-residential premises.
Volodymyr Skorobagach also declared several luxury watches. In return, his wife declared an elite Rolex watch, luxury accessories, and clothing.
The official's wife also owns a BMW 740le Xdrive Iperformance car worth UAH 2,857,404.
Volodymyr Skorobagach's income for 2022 was UAH 3,341,470, and his wife's was UAH 7,610,440.
Skorobagach declared 910,000 UAH, 1,084,000 USD, and 254,000 EUR in cash. In turn, the ex-official's wife declared 1,100,000 UAH, 480,000 USD, and 18,000 EUR. It is also interesting that Volodymyr Skorobagach lent 4,330,000 USD and 2,400,000 EUR to third parties.
Persons who should have reacted: law enforcement agencies responded to the criminal scheme in a timely manner, handing over suspicion to each member of the organized group.
Scandals: at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the cars of Volodymyr Skorobagach, then still a current deputy of the regional council from the pro-Russian OPZZH and deputy head of this body, and his daughter Maria, also a deputy, but already of the Kharkiv City Council, were spotted on the Cote d'Azur, in the elite resort of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat near Nice. At that time, the still current official said that he occasionally leaves Ukraine "on charity fund business," but continues to perform his deputy duties. However, he did not do this for long.
On December 24, 2022, Volodymyr Skorobagach resigned as a deputy, but during the session he promised to remain in Ukraine.
"I am not leaving my Kharkiv and will continue to work here because I love my hometown," the former deputy promised.
However, a few months later, Skorobagach was again photographed by journalists at the same resort on the Cote d'Azur.
In addition, as "Telegraf" writes, from Maria Skorobagach's annual declaration, a simple conclusion can be drawn - the girl loves branded jewelry, luxury watches, currency, and luxury cars. In short, she is used to a luxurious life.
And if we go into more detail, then, judging by the declaration, Maria Skorobagach is the owner of two Cartier bracelets: one costs 208 thousand hryvnias (owned since August 2020), the second - 244.3 thousand hryvnias (owned since January 5, 2022).
The girl also owns Swiss brand watches: one Hublot and two Rolex. These are some of the most famous and expensive watch brands in the world.
From the property, Maria Skorobagach declared a Mercedes-Benz GLE 350D 2018 model. Its value, indicated in the declaration, is 2,299,840 hryvnias. Also, the ex-MP has owned a watercraft (hydrocycle) since 2014, the value of which is not specified.
Judging by Maria Skorobagach's declaration, she keeps money in several Ukrainian banks. The amounts and accounts are different - both in hryvnia and in foreign currency.
Sources:
https://www.rbc.ua/rus/news/kolishnogo-golovu-harkivskoyi-oblradi-vikrili-1736862172.html
https://2day.kh.ua/ua/kharkow/obrantsi-v-zakoni-kryminalni-skandaly-deputativ-kharkivskoyi-oblrady
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/336baa9d-7ba0-41b2-ab2b-eecd25f9615a