MP Skorokhod, her assistant and accomplice served suspicion notices – NABU

Member of Parliament (For the Future group) Hanna Skorokhod, her assistant and accomplice were informed of the suspicion, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said on Friday.

"NABU and the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) together with the State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have exposed a criminal group headed by the MP of Ukraine. According to the investigation, its participants offered a business representative $250,000 to organize the imposition of sanctions by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) on a competitor’s company. The perpetrators claimed that they had the opportunity to transfer the illegal benefit for adopting sanctions decisions to officials of state authorities, in particular members of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC)," the report on the agency’s website says.

As the investigation established, after receiving $125,000, the "client" was informed that this part would be transferred to NSDC officials. However, neither the NSDC members nor other officials were ever given the money, as the perpetrators were unable to find a person who would agree to commit illegal actions.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the deputy involved her assistant and several intermediaries in the "scheme," one of whom was responsible for receiving the bribe. During searches of the places of work and residence of the deputy and her accomplices, evidence of criminal activity was found, the Telegram message says.

The persons involved in the case were informed of suspicion of committing a crime, which is classified as Part 4 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (incitement to provide an official occupying a particularly responsible position with an unlawful benefit for the official’s commission of actions with the use of official position in the interests of the person providing such benefit, committed by a group of persons in prior conspiracy).

As reported, MP Skorokhod was expelled from the Servant of the People faction in 2019, reported searches at her place of residence. She did not specify which law enforcement agencies were conducting the search and on the basis of what resolutions, but promised to report on further developments.

Before that, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) reported the exposure of a "criminal group headed by a Ukrainian MP", without specifying the name of the deputy. Sources in law enforcement agencies confirmed to Interfax-Ukraine that this is about Skorokhod.