Interpol refuses to issue arrest order for Onyschenko

11:33, 04.05.2017 1 min read

Interpol has refused to issue an arrest order for Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy Olekandr Onyschenko, who is suspected of organizing a criminal scheme to steal funds from the sale of natural gas. The news was reported by Kyiv's Internet news portal Ukrayinska Pravda, which cited National Police of Ukraine Spokeswoman Yaroslav Tarkalo.

"[According to Tarkalo] the commission overseeing Interpol files at its 99th session decided not to issue an arrest order for Onyschenko. Ukraine's Interpol bureau passed on this information to the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine," the news portal said.

Onyschenko is suspected of organizing a scheme to steal funds from the extraction and sale of natural gas under agreements with the public joint-stock company Ukrgazvydobuvannia. The scheme resulted in losses to the government of about UAH 3 billion.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on July 2016 voted to strip Onyschenko of immunity of prosecution, but he fled Ukraine before he could be arrested.

On April 20, 2017 the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine submitted a request to Interpol to put Onyschenko on the wanted list.