The Higher Anti-Corruption Court (HAC) has decided to cancel the charges brought by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) against former People’s Deputy Oleksandr Granovskyi. Granovsky was accused of organizing a corruption scheme at JSC “Odesa Port Plant” (OPZ), which, according to the investigation, caused losses to the state in the amount of 93.3 million hryvnias. However, the court’s decision canceling the suspicion caused an ambiguous reaction in society and among experts.
Granovsky, who has been abroad for several years, remains one of the most discussed figures in political circles. Many associate his departure from Ukraine with a desire to avoid justice, but there are no official statements about his whereabouts. At the same time, his lawyers insisted that the suspicion was unfounded and lacked sufficient evidence.
The relevant court decision was received version “Ukrainian Pravda”. The document states that the suspicion that NABU brought against Granovsky on October 21, 2022, in criminal proceedings No. 52016000000000380 dated October 20, 2016, was canceled. The decision has sparked outrage among public activists, who believe it could set a precedent for other suspects in corruption cases.
The full text of the court decision is scheduled to be announced on August 26, after which the prosecution will have five days to appeal the decision. This means that the final verdict on the cancellation of the suspicion can still be changed, but at this stage Granovsky has legally lost the status of a suspect.
The context of the Odesa Port Plant case adds even more controversy. OPZ was one of the largest chemical enterprises in Ukraine, and 99% of its shares belong to the State Property Fund of Ukraine. The plant has repeatedly found itself at the center of corruption scandals related to management problems, in particular due to political pressure and corruption schemes related to gas supplies.
In September 2021, the plant was shut down due to gas supply problems and unprofitability, another blow to its reputation. At the beginning of April 2022, under martial law, the enterprise was mothballed, and its future remains uncertain.
