The Appeals Chamber of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce overturned the acquittal against former People’s Deputy from the “Opposition Bloc” and ex-governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Dmytro Kolesnikov, who received compensation for rented housing, having two apartments in Kyiv.
This was reported by Ukrainian Pravda with reference to the VAKS press service.
“According to the results of the review, the panel of judges partially satisfied the appeals of the prosecution and the defense, canceled the acquittal and ordered a new hearing of the criminal proceedings in the High Anti-Corruption Court,” VACS said in a statement.
Now the case will be sent for a new consideration at the first instance. As the CPC notes, the decision was made by a panel consisting of Viktor Pankulych, Serhiy Bodnar and Igor Panaid. According to the SAP, Kolesnikov illegally received UAH 758,000 in compensation for renting a room in the Kyiv hotel, because he owned two apartments in the capital. The actions of the former People’s Deputy were qualified under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Abuse of power that caused grave consequences).
This article carries a maximum penalty of 6 years in prison. Reference: Dmytro Kolesnikov (born March 27, 1972, Kryvyi Rih) — Minister of Industrial Policy of Ukraine from March 11, 2010 to December 9, 2010, head of the State Agency of Ukraine for the Management of State Corporate Rights and Property from December 9, 2010 to December 24 2012, member of the Party of Regions.
From December 2012 to March 2014, he headed the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration. On January 8, 2018, he was one of 36 deputies who voted against the Law on the Recognition of Ukrainian Sovereignty over the Occupied Territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts.
He was one of 59 deputies who signed the submission, on the basis of which the Constitutional Court of Ukraine canceled the article of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on illegal enrichment, which obliged civil servants to give explanations about the sources of their income and the income of their family members. Criminal liability for illegal enrichment was introduced in Ukraine in 2015. This was one of the demands of the EU, as well as one of Ukraine’s obligations to the IMF, established by the memorandum. On September 6, 2019, Kolesnikov was arrested together with Oleksandr Vilkul, but they were released on September 17, they were both bailed by People’s Deputy Dmytro Shpenov.
