Medvedchuk Served with Motion for Arrest and 1 Billion Hryvnia Bail

He is suspected of treason and aiding terrorism.

Law enforcement officers have served a motion for arrest with an alternative bail of 1 billion hryvnias on Viktor Medvedchuk, head of the political council of the OPZZh party, who is under house arrest and suspected of treason. We explain when Medvedchuk was served with a new suspicion and what it concerns. 

Treason and Aiding Terrorism

On October 8, based on SBU materials, a new suspicion was announced against OPZZh People’s Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk, of high treason and aiding the activities of a terrorist organization. 

According to the investigation, the case concerns actions aimed at undermining Ukraine’s energy independence: “In particular, after Russia seized part of Donbas, Ukraine found itself on the verge of an energy crisis. Therefore, it was decided to buy coal on the world market, in particular in South Africa.” 

The Security Service of Ukraine said: “However, the Russian Federation was supposed to disrupt the implementation of these contracts and not allow Ukraine to strengthen its own energy independence. Therefore, with Medvedchuk acting as intermediary, a conspiracy was hatched with senior Ukrainian officials who, using the powers of the National Bank and law enforcement agencies, created artificial obstacles to the supply of coal from South Africa. In the end, those contracts were disrupted, which triggered a wave of “rolling” power outages in our country. Subsequently, with Medvedchuk’s assistance, illegal schemes were organized to supply coal from temporarily occupied territories to Ukrainian state enterprises, with the aim of returning Ukraine to the sphere of influence of the Russian Federation.” 

The agency released audio recordings of conversations that allegedly confirm the existence of the “coal scheme” and the interest of Russian authorities in it. In the recordings, Medvedchuk speaks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, Putin’s aide Vladimir Surkov, Deputy Head of Putin’s Administration Vladimir Ostrovenko, Russian Ambassador Mikhail Zurabov, so-called “ministers of the LPR and DPR” Dmitry Lyamin and Alexander Timofeyev, and the “Cossack ataman of the LPR” Pavel Dremin.

According to the SBU, an examination confirmed that Medvedchuk is one of the figures in the recordings, discussing the implementation of illegal schemes with representatives of Russian authorities. During the conversations, the People’s Deputy says he has guarantees from senior Ukrainian officials. 

In particular, with the mediation of businessman Sergei Kuzyara, who is close to Medvedchuk, two practically non-operating coal enterprises were selected in the occupied territory. Representatives of the occupation authorities of the so-called ORDLO were appointed as their heads, bank accounts were opened for them, and coal supply contracts were concluded with them. 

These issues were, in particular, coordinated with militant leaders. According to law enforcement, during the operation of this scheme, pro-Russian terrorists were financed in total in the amount of more than 200 million hryvnias. The SBU said that the investigation is working through the issue of serving suspicion on other persons. 

Ivan Bakanov
Head of the SBU

The investigation has a serious body of evidence confirming the unlawful activities of the figures involved. We know about the transfer of cash to the “LDNR” and the transfer of funds to enterprises in the occupied territories. Moreover, we see that the plans discussed by the figures (changing enterprise heads, opening bank branches, etc.) were subsequently implemented. 

It is worth noting that in September a court arrested businessman Sergei Kuzyara in a case concerning illegal coal supplies from occupied territories worth 1.5 billion hryvnias. 

Bail of 1 Billion Hryvnias

On October 8, at a briefing by Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and SBU Head Ivan Bakanov, it became known that the prosecution will ask the court for a preventive measure for People’s Deputy Medvedchuk in the form of detention or bail of 1 billion hryvnias. 

Iryna Venediktova
Prosecutor General of Ukraine

We have been through this before. There can be no alternative here. Therefore, the prosecution will file a motion for detention or bail of 1 billion hryvnias. Why such an amount? Because with the other figure we spoke about today, when we went to court with a motion for a preventive measure, we filed exactly the same motion: detention or bail of 1 billion. 

She noted that a similar case previously showed that, despite treason charges, detention is not the only alternative preventive measure for Medvedchuk. 

Motion for arrest served 

OPZZh People’s Deputy Renat Kuzmin is outraged by the size of the bail for Medvedchuk: “Actually, why a billion and not a trillion, for example, or a quintillion?” He called the authorities “sadistic” and reminded that, under an NSDC decision, sanctions have been imposed on Medvedchuk and he is prohibited from carrying out financial transactions. 

Renat Kuzmin
People’s Deputy from OPZZh

And now (the authorities — ed.) demand that he pay bail, knowing full well that he cannot transfer it even if he manages to raise the required sum: the bank simply will not accept the payment because of the NSDC ban. Will someone ask Zelensky whether this is the very judicial reform he promised voters, or is something even more vile still coming?