You're reading: Interior ministry bans some Naftogaz officials from traveling abroad under criminal case against GazUkraina-Commerce

The Interior Ministry of Ukraine has opened a criminal case against some officials of national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy and GazUkraina LLC on embezzlement of state property worth over UAH 1.4 billion, Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov has written on his Facebook page. 

“Officials of the said companies are banned from traveling outside Ukraine to ensure the execution of court rulings,” reads the report.

As reported, GazUkraina-Commerce and Naftogaz Ukrainy on March 27, 2012 signed an agreement on the sale and purchase of natural gas at a price of UAH 3,509 per 1,000 cubic meters (not taking into account the targeted fee, a tariff for transportation and supply). Under the agreement, GazUkraina-Commerce in June 2012 took gas worth UAH 3.53 billion, and the company did not pay in full for the gas.

Initially, GazUkraina-Commerce did not pay UAH 1.89 billion for the gas used, although during the court proceedings part of the debt was paid and the size of the debt fell to UAH 1.45 billion. The penalty fee and the fine grew.

Naftogaz Ukrainy unites oil and gas production assets in Ukraine, and is the country’s gas transit, underground gas storage, and oil pipeline transportation monopoly.