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Ukraine issues arrest warrant for lawmaker alleged of corruption

2 min read
Ukraine issues arrest warrant for lawmaker alleged of corruption
Yaroslav Dubnevych, a People's Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's Parliament, in a picture posted on Aug. 4, 2017. (Yaroslav Dubnevych/Facebook)

Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court issued an arrest warrant for lawmaker Yaroslav Dubnevych on charges that he embezzled Hr 93 million ($2.5 million), the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) reported on Nov. 2.

Lawmaker Dubnevych was accused of taking part in a scheme, along with eight others, to make purchases on behalf of the state railway operator Ukrzalizntysia at significantly inflated prices, and then pocketing the remain.

In addition, Dubnevych is a suspect in another corruption case involving the illegal seizure of more than Hr 2.1 billion ($58 million) worth of state-owned natural gas, as well as attempting to launder the ill-gotten gains.

The court decided to issue an international warrant for Dubnevych's arrest because he failed to show up for a previous hearing on Oct. 26.

The prosecutors alleged that Dubnevych had crossed the border on Oct. 8. It is unclear how he left Ukraine in the first place because there is no record of his exit.

Dubnevych's whereabouts are currently unknown, and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) was notified of the warrant, but they also did not know where he was.

While corruption remains Ukrainians' primary concern besides the war, a majority have also expressed optimism about the progress of the government's fight against it.

Opinion: Are Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts at a standstill?
“Ukraine is the second-most corrupt country in Europe.” “The situation with bribery has been at a standstill.” “Corruption reform doesn’t work in Ukraine.” These statements have been repeated at various international forums, by foreign officials, and by the media. But how much truth is there to t…
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Nate Ostiller

News Editor

Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.

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