Ex-member of parliament Oleksandr Onyschenko, who is hiding from investigators in Spain, should be extradited in December 2019 to Ukraine, National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine Director Artem Sytnyk has said.

"Onyshchenko is returning, well, has almost returned to Ukraine. Why? Because he lost in all the courts in Spain: both in terms of extradition and in recognition of his political refugee status," Sytnyk said on TV Channel 24.

Onyshchenko will be extradited, most likely, in December this year, he said.

"There is a certain indicative date – this is December 2019. Of course, something else can happen, but he lost in the courts. Therefore, there is a decision to extradite him," Sytnyk said.

The press service of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) on November 13 granted two requests by the prosecutor for the arrest of Onyshchenko's accounts in Estonia and Russia, to which he transferred EUR 500,000 in September 2019.

Onyshchenko on Facebook, meanwhile, denied information about the freezing of his accounts in the amount of EUR 500,000 and said the decision to extradite him could be implemented only with the consent of the Spanish Cabinet of Ministers.

"The decision of my court says that they can extradite me only with the consent of the Cabinet of Ministers of Spain. The extradition court was in March 2017 and the Cabinet of Ministers did not sign anything for three years. As a result, I myself informed everyone that I wrote a statement that I want to return to Ukraine. And the court approved and gave me permission to voluntarily return. And I will return to Ukraine ... if I want this," Onyshchenko said.

As reported, Onyshchenko is suspected by law enforcement agencies of Ukraine in organizing a scheme for embezzlement in the extraction and sale of natural gas under agreements on joint activities with PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia. The parliament agreed to hold him accountable, detained and arrested on July 5, 2016. However, on the eve of the vote, taking advantage of his MP status, Onyshchenko left the country. He was put on the national wanted list on August 8, 2016.

The investigation established that 29 people were involved in the 'gas scheme.' Currently, three are on the wanted list. Fifteen indictments against 25 persons were sent to court, of which, 11 have been convicted.