The Supreme Court of Ukraine closed the case of former Minister of Infrastructure Andriy Pyvovarsky due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) granted the motion of the defense of the former Minister of Infrastructure Andriy Pyvovarsky and closed the case against him due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. NABU and SAPO suspected him of abuse of office, which caused the state losses of tens of millions of dollars. This was reported by the HACC press service.
“The High Anti-Corruption Court granted the motion of the defense of the former Minister of Infrastructure and ruled to release the accused from criminal liability on the basis of Art. 49 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
Criminal proceedings in connection with the accusation of the former Minister of Infrastructure of committing a criminal offense under Part 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, closed on the basis of Clause 1, Part 2, Article 284 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. The Anti-Corruption Court also canceled the arrests imposed on the property of the former Minister of Infrastructure, — the message says.
The events in this case took place in 2015, the investigation began in 2016, and the indictment was submitted to the High Anti-Corruption Court on July 25, 2024. The materials of the proceedings consist of 80 volumes.
The announcement of the full text of the resolution with the justification of the decision is scheduled for October 17. The document will be published in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions. The ruling can be appealed to the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine within seven days from the moment of its announcement.
According to the investigation, in 2015, the Minister of Infrastructure Andriy Pyvovarsky, together with his deputy Volodymyr Shulmeister, who headed the Tariff Council of the Ministry of Infrastructure, signed an order allowing private companies to receive half of the ship dues rate from vessels in the seaport “Pivdenny” in the Odessa region.
The NABU emphasized that the water area of the port “Pivdenny” is state property and is used by the Seaports Administration of Ukraine, therefore the right to collect dues belongs exclusively to the USPA. As a result, according to anti-corruption authorities, the losses to the state-owned enterprise amounted to more than $49.63 million.
On February 22, 2023, NABU and SAPO notified Pyvovarsky and Schulmeister of suspicion of abuse of power and official position. On March 16 of the same year, the Supreme Administrative Court of Ukraine selected a preventive measure for the former minister in the form of a bail of more than 9 million hryvnias. The very next day, Pyvovarsky announced that the funds had been deposited for him.
Andriy Pyvovarsky headed the Ministry of Infrastructure in December 2014 in the government of Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and a year later announced his resignation. The investigation against him began in 2016, but the case was submitted to the court only in July 2024.
