Labaziuk’s case referred to court: he faces up to 10 years in prison
22 May 2024 12:18
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have sent to court the case of the current MP Serhiy Labazyuk of the For the Future group, who was caught giving undue advantage to former Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov and the head of the State Agency for Reconstruction and Development of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayem. This was reported by the NABU press service, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
According to the investigation, in August 2023, the People’s Deputy of Ukraine, who is also the owner of a large construction and agricultural business, asked a top official of the Ministry of Reconstruction to provide his company with contracts for the reconstruction of infrastructure facilities worth UAH 1 billion. For this, he promised a “reward” of 3-5% of the value of each contract.
The MP also involved the company’s director to coordinate the next steps.
Subsequently, the individuals provided a top official of the State Agency for Reconstruction with an unlawful benefit in the amount of USD 150 thousand. THE BRIBE WAS HANDED OVER TO THE TOP OFFICIAL OF THE STATE AGENCY. The bribe was handed over in the car park of a Kyiv supermarket, and the money was in a Chinese box.
The MP denied that he was trying to bribe officials, but rather that he was being provoked to take a bribe.
The case is classified under Part 4 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Labazyuk faces five to ten years in prison.
on 28 November, the High Anti-Corruption Court imposed a pre-trial restraint on Labaziuk. However, he was granted bail in the amount of UAH 40 million 260 thousand and was released from custody on the day of his arrest.
The NABU noted that this is the second MP accused in the case of providing undue benefits to top officials in the recovery sector.
The indictment against his colleague was sent to court in April 2024.
What is known about Serhii Labasiuk
Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of three convocations (current ninth convocation, eighth and seventh convocations). Since 2012, he has been elected to parliament in the same majority constituency No. 188, which includes part of Khmelnytskyi, the former Khmelnytskyi and Volochysk districts.
One of the MPs who voted for the dictatorial laws of 16 January 2014. on 1 August 2014, he filed an application requesting that his vote be considered as a ‘no vote’. Later, he claimed that he had not actually voted for these laws.
Currently, he is a member of the For the Future parliamentary group and a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy.
He was born in 1980 in Volochysk, Khmelnytskyi region. He is the founder and currently the honorary president of Vitagro Group of Companies, a company engaged in crop production, horticulture and animal husbandry.
Married. The MP’s wife, Violeta Labaziuk, is currently the head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Council.
He is involved in anti-corruption investigations into political corruption and tender fraud.
In December 2020, ATO veteran Oleksiy Kravchuk reported threats to his family after he posted a video of Labaziuk insulting his fellow soldiers.
Journalists of the Nashi Hroshi publication reported on the involvement of Labaziuk’s company Vitagro Investment Company LLC in the hidden privatisation of the state-owned enterprise Mayak Plant
