The United Energy Systems of Ukraine (UESU) Corporation, which was led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and the Industrial Union of Donbass (ISD) Corporation, which was co-founded by businessman and MP Yevhen Scherban, settled the business conflict before the entrepreneur was killed in 1996, Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Taruta has said.

"There was an agreement, and we signed it at the end of 1995... After we reached an agreement [an agency agreement on the mechanism of interaction between ISD and UESU on gas supplies to Donetsk region], we had very good relations," he said during his questioning as a witness in the case on MP Scherban's murder.

Taruta added that Scherban had not informed him of any threat to his life.