The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has summoned fugitive Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksandr Onyshchenko on February 16 to receive an indictment in the criminal case involving embezzlement of funds from gas extraction and sale.

The notice published on Wednesday in the official newspaper Uriadovy Kurier calls on Onyshchenko to appear at 11.00 on February 16, 2018 at NABU's office.

Onyshchenko responded on Facebook on Wednesday, "They can hand over the agenda (according to an international agreement on legal assistance) after the consent of the Rada, through consulates, and not through NABU's press service. Or via Facebook messages from NABU's Director [Artem Syntyk]."

Onyshchenko said NABU is attempting to curry favor with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

"Sytnyk was firmly hooked on the case of selling undeclared real estate in Crimea, so it's not anti-corruption for a long time, but Bankova's [name of the street on which Ukraine's Presidential Administration is located] pawn. He does everything he is told," Onyshchenko said.

As earlier reported, on February 8, 2019, Sytnyk said NABU had completed its investigation against Onyshchenko, who is suspected of embezzling funds for the extraction and sale of natural gas under joint activity agreements with PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia.

Ukraine's parliament granted consent to bringing the deputy to justice on July 5, 2016, but Onyshchenko fled Ukraine. He was put on the national wanted list on August 8, 2016.