In addition to a fine of 51 thousand hryvnia, the banker must return 35 million losses to the state.
banker Alexander Ignatenko
One of the defendants in the case of the theft of 200 million hryvnia from Ukrgasbank, banker Alexander Ignatenko, made a deal with the investigation and, instead of being sentenced to 7-12 years in prison, received a fine of 51 thousand hryvnia, reports “Economic Pravda” with reference to the material from “Ukrainian Pravda”.
“Ignatenko should not be released. He was suspected of a very serious crime – theft on an especially large scale, threatening 7-12 years in prison. With such charges, the criminal cannot be released,” the article says.
However, in November 2023, the court took such a step – Ignatenko was convicted not of theft or even forgery of documents.
The charges against him were changed to official negligence. And they imposed a punishment even milder than this simple article suggests.
An unknown individual entrepreneur, who was tried together with Ignatenko, received a suspended sentence for complicity in the schemes. That is, the risk of going to prison if he sins again.
And the high-ranking banker got away with only a fine of 51 thousand hryvnia. Separately, he must return 35 million losses to the state.
“In the case of the already mentioned banker Ignatenko, for example, the testimony that he undertook to provide does not even relate to the main crime – theft schemes. Since he is no longer officially listed as an accomplice in these schemes. Even if Ignatenko gave useful testimony, as UP sources claim, this means that the agreements with him are somewhat informal, not fixed in the agreement,” the material says.
In addition, for Ignatenko, compensation for damage did not become a real punishment. In court, he admitted that this would not constitute an excessive burden for him, since he has savings and has a significant amount of movable and immovable property.
- In November 2023, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office reported that eight representatives of Ukrgasbank agreed to cooperate with the investigation and will transfer about 15 million hryvnia to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The funds will go to the Drone Army project.
- In February, NABU reported suspicions to 10 more persons in the Ukrgasbank case. Five of them were abroad at that time.
- In December 2022, VAKS arrested the former head of the National Bank, Kirill Shevchenko, in absentia. He previously served as head of the board of Ukrgasbank.