Ukraine issues an arrest warrant for a businessman from Yanukovych's circle
The Pechesrky District Court in Kyiv has issued an arrest warrant for businessman Serhiy Kurchenko. The court has satisfied the request of the Prosecutor's General of Ukraine to issue an arrest warrant for the fugitive businessman.
“This decision of the court lets us proceed with the criminal investigation and ensure the international search warrant. Thus, in case Serhiy Kurchenko is apprehended abroad, the necessary steps to arrest him and bring him over to Ukraine can be taken,” Adrian Lupu, a prosecutor from the Prosecutor’s General office, stated.
The prosecutor also stated that, according to available information, Kurchenko is now residing in the territory of Russia, although his exact location is not known.
This is the third such arrest warrant issued for Kurchenko. On December 28, 2016, the Appeal Court of Kyiv denied a request to arrest and put Kurchenko under custody.
Following the Pechesrky District Court's decision, the defense of the former Ukrainian oligarch is planning to submit an appeal.
Serhiy Kurchenko is a businessman from the so-called Yanukovych’s circle. He is suspected of inflicting financial losses to Ukraine in the amount of 7 billion hryvnia (approximately 262.67 million US dollars).
After the Ukrainian Revolution Of Dignity (Maidan) in 2014, Kurchenko fled from Ukraine to Russia. In April 2014, an international search warrant was issued for him. Kurchenko is implicated in heading a criminal group involved in the so-called “liquefied gas” case.
The Prosecution states that in 2010-2014 his company received liquefied gas from the Ukrdobicha and Ukrnanfa enterprises at artificially reduced prices, and was selling it at the higher market prices. In May 2016, Kurchenko’s property was seized at the request of the Chief Investigator from the Prosecutor’s General Office.