Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
NABU and SAP have informed of suspicion against another possible member of the criminal organization. This concerns a businessman and former deputy of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, who is suspected of involvement in the raider seizure of two enterprises.
This was reported by SAP.
What is known about the new suspicion?
The leaders of the criminal organization — a current and a former People's Deputy of Ukraine — involved the businessman and former deputy of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council in illegal activities through his informal connections and influence in the judicial sphere. According to media reports, this official may have been Vasyl Astion.
The businessman was to ensure that judges of commercial courts rendered decisions in favor of companies and persons connected to the criminal organization. In particular, with the participation of the suspect, according to the investigation, a raider seizure of two enterprises took place, the combined value of whose assets amounted to 248 million hryvnias.
In addition, Astion is suspected of facilitating the legalization of funds obtained by criminal means. These funds were later planned to be used to post bail for one of the participants of another criminal organization — within the scope of the "Midas" case.
This concerns 150 million hryvnias which, according to the investigation's version, were routed through a number of accounts of controlled legal entities.
NABU noted that the new suspicion against Astion relates to investigations named "Forrest Gump" and "Themis." The businessman's actions were qualified under articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine regarding participation in a criminal organization, unlawful appropriation of property, and legalization of property obtained by criminal means.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "САП і НАБУ оголосили нову підозру у справі "Форест Гамп"". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.