Corruption

Lawyer from Masi Nayem’s company found guilty of bribing SAPO prosecutors for $200k

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office exposed a lawyer of a Kyiv law firm on the offer of a USD 200,000 bribe. THE BRIBE WAS PAID IN THE AMOUNT OF $200 THOUSAND. This was reported by NABU, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports

The lawyer tried to bribe prosecutors of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine to transfer his client’s case to another pre-trial investigation body.

The case concerns the seizure of electricity from NPC Ukrenergo and the legalisation of the proceeds of its sale in the amount of UAH 716 million.

The lawyer’s actions were classified under Part 3 of Art. 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Offer, promise or giving of an unlawful benefit to an official”.

He faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property.

The NABU did not disclose the name of the suspect, but Miller said it was Oleksiy Nosov, their partner and lawyer. On the company’s website, Nosov is listed as one of the three founding partners, along with Masi Nayem and Karina Panchenko.

It is worth noting that Nosov is also working with former Naftogaz CEO Andriy Kobolyev in the case of the bonuses.

“We are in a state of shock. Today, investigative actions were taken against one of our lawyers, Oleksiy Nosov… Our team does not just not accept breaking the law in the performance of professional duties, it is unacceptable and contrary to all the values, principles, standards and practices of the company. We did not suspect and did not expect this from a member of our team, even at the level of an investigative version,” the company said in a statement,

– the company said in a statement.

Miller emphasised that it was severing any relationship with Alexei Nosov, promising that appropriate legal action would be taken as soon as Nosov was available.

They also added that Miller’s employees would not act as the suspect’s defence counsel either publicly or in the criminal proceedings.

Masi Nayyem, a lawyer and soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who founded Miller Law Firm, also reacted to the news.

“It hurts me. Even though it is still an investigative version. But I understand the team and support their decision. I stepped down from managing the company at the beginning of the war. But the law should be the same for everyone, not just in words. After all, these are the values we are fighting for. We will dot all the dots after the victory. It hurts,”

– wrote Masi Nayyem.

Mustafa Nayem, who heads the State Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine, supported his brother.

“I have a brother whom I love incredibly. Ten years ago, he founded a law firm without even having the money to rent an office. Few people believed in it, but he managed to get on his feet, win respect and recognition… And today he suffered a personal tragedy. A lawyer from his company was suspected of offering a bribe. I know that he is in incredible pain right now, because I know with what love and faith he built his team and with what inspiration he devoted himself to his work,”

– nayyem wrote.

It should be noted that the NABU found that in March 2022, United Energy LLC purchased electricity from Ukrenergo for more than UAH 716 million. Despite the company’s existing debt to the state-owned company, the head of the relevant department of Ukrenergo did not stop the sale. At the same time, the payment was guaranteed by the commercial Bank Alliance, and the decision to issue the guarantee was made by the chairman of the board alone and in violation of the procedure.

Electricity was sold to real market participants, and the proceeds were transferred to the accounts of a foreign company controlled by the organiser of the scheme.

The amount of losses is over UAH 716 million.

According to media reports, the investigation believes that the organiser of the scheme is Kolomoisky’s long-time business partner in gambling, Mykhailo Kiperman . Yulia Frolova, the chairman of the board of Alliance Bank, and Dmytro Kondrashov, the former head of the department of the settlement administrator at Ukrenergo, were also suspected of the scheme. All of them have been put on the wanted list.

The director of United Energy LLC, Andriy Korotkevych-Leshchenko, was also notified of suspicion in this case. He is involved in two other cases of damage to PJSC Centrenergo.

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