The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has said that Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan spreads untrue information regarding the essence of suspicions that were reported to him for the commission of crimes.

"The information being spread by the Ukrainian infrastructure minister regarding the content of suspicions to him about illegal enrichment and declaration of inaccurate information is untrue and misleads the society," reads a statement released by the NABU's press service on Thursday, September 13.

The NABU recalled that earlier on September 13, NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors had informed the minister about the suspicion of committing criminal offenses under Part 3 of Article 368-2 and Article 366-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

"Article 368-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for criminal liability for illegal enrichment, came into force only on April 26, 2015. Therefore, the minister is incriminated only with those actions that were committed in the period from April 2015 until now," the NABU said.

At the same time, the report says, the investigation analyzed the revenues and expenses of the minister for the period from 2000 to April 26, 2015: "The results showed that in this period the official did not have the income the legality of which was confirmed by evidence and which, taking into account the expenses, would allow him to save money for further acquisition of assets in a considerable amount."

The NABU emphasized that despite this fact, in May 2015 the minister acquired a new BMW X5 worth UAH 1.415 million and registered the right of ownership of the vehicle for his brother.

"The investigation has evidence that this SUV was in the actual possession of the official, his use and disposal. At the same time, this fact was not reflected in the minister's electronic declaration for 2015 and 2016. Just like the right to use a house in the suburbs of Kyiv with an area of about 270 square meters and worth almost UAH 6 million, in which he has resided since the beginning of December 2016 (this information should be indicated in the declaration for 2016, but this was not done)," the bureau said.

The NABU added that there were also no legal sources for the origin of the minister's savings of $90,000 and EUR 25,000 - information about these funds was stated in the declaration for 2015 as those that are in his ownership as of December 31, 2015.

"The investigation established that the minister took measures aimed at concealing the convicted violations by unlawfully influencing the results of the inspection conducted against him by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention," the NABU said.

Earlier on Thursday, September 13, the NABU's press service said that Omelyan had been notified of the suspicion of committing criminal offenses envisaged by Part 3 of Article 368-2 and Article 366-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Omelyan, in turn, said that the case against him was related to the reforms he has been carrying out, as well as to elections looming in the country and a case of ex-Member of Parliament Mykola Martynenko, which has been investigated by the NABU for several years.