Pechersky District Court in Kyiv is to hear criminal cases against the former head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine, Anatoliy Makarenko, and a former deputy chief of Naftogaz Ukrainy, Ihor Didenko.
Makarenko’s lawyers, Yuriy Sukhov, told Interfax-Ukraine that Pechersky District Court of Kyiv would hear the case.
At the same time, he said he was surprised by the choice of the court. Sukhov also said that he did not know the date of the preliminary hearing and who will be the judge.
Didenko’s lawyer, Yuriy Hryhorenko, said that the case against his client was also sent to Pechersky Court and that the two cases were being merged into one.
As reported, on June 8, 2010, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce obliged Naftogaz Ukrainy to return 11 billion cubic meters of gas to RosUkrEnergo and pay it a fine in commodity form of 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas in line with its contract.
The Security Service of Ukraine completed its pre-trial investigation into a criminal case against officials of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy and the State Customs Service on the unlawful seizure of gas belonging to Swiss-based gas trader RosUkrEnergo and the illegal customs clearance of the gas in February-March 2009.
The investigators said they had gathered enough evidence to establish the guilt of the accused. Former First Deputy CEO of Naftogaz Ihor Didenko, former Head of the State Customs Service Anatoliy Makarenko, and Deputy Head of the Energy Regional Customs Taras Shepitko were arrested in connection with the case.
Makarenko was detained in late June 2010, while Didenko was arrested in July 2010.
