Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation completed a pre-trial investigation into a sitting MP of Ukraine, who is accused of high treason and fraudulent appropriation of funds from a private enterprise. The indictment has already been submitted to the court. The department does not name the suspect, but according to Suspilne, it is Yevheniy Shevchenko.
The investigation documented three episodes of criminal activity. Two of them relate to treason – before and after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. The third episode is related to the fraudulent appropriation of 14.5 million hryvnias of private business funds by the MP.
The investigation established that the MP maintained contacts with representatives of the Belarusian embassy. Since 2020, he has repeatedly visited this country, met with local businessmen, politicians, and the self-proclaimed president. During these visits, he spread false claims about the “absence of the threat of attack from the territory of Belarus”.
In addition, the people’s deputy regularly recorded programs on his own media resources, gave interviews to pro-Russian bloggers and commentators, broadcasting Russian narratives. Subsequently, these materials were distributed on Russian propaganda platforms, creating the impression among the audience there that this was the official position of the representative of the Ukrainian authorities. He continued his activities in this direction even after the start of the full-scale invasion.
In his public speeches, he promoted theses about the “collapse of Ukrainian statehood”, the loss of territories, and the inability of the authorities to ensure peace. He also argued that Ukraine supposedly had no chance of winning and should negotiate with Russia under any conditions.
Separately, the investigation established that the deputy used his contacts in Belarus for a fraudulent scheme to supply mineral fertilizers. The Ukrainian company paid in full for the products, but the delivery was delayed. The politician, knowing that he had all the necessary permits, convinced businessmen that they allegedly did not exist, and offered “help” by concluding a contract for consulting services with a company controlled by him for the amount of 14.5 million hryvnias.
He spent the funds received on the purchase of three premium cars – a Porsche Macan, a BMW X5M (2021) and a Mercedes-Benz AMG (2022), which he registered under false names. The total customs value of these cars exceeds 250 thousand euros.
The People’s Deputy of Ukraine has been charged under three articles of the Criminal Code: high treason (Part 1 of Article 111), high treason under martial law (Part 2 of Article 111), and fraud committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 190). The sanctions under these articles provide for punishment up to life imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The accused is currently in custody in a pre-trial detention center. The Office of the Prosecutor General is responsible for the procedural management of the case.
