The Appellate Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court granted the complaint of the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and granted permission to conduct a special pre-trial investigation into the case of former MP Heorhiy Logvinsky, a defendant in the high-profile "Golden Mandarin" case.
This decision paves the way for the investigation to be completed in absentia and the possibility of transferring the indictment to the court. Previously, the panel of investigating judges of the Supreme Judicial Council refused to grant the prosecutors' request, but now the appeals court has put a final stop to the issue.
The proceedings against Logvinsky have been ongoing since December 2023. According to the NABU and SAPO, the former people's deputy is involved in a scheme to embezzle more than 54 million hryvnias of state funds through the company "Golden Mandarin Oil". The money was illegally transferred by the Ministry of Justice allegedly in connection with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights.
In the summer of 2023, Logvinsky was informed of the suspicion in absentia, as he was hiding from the investigation outside Ukraine. Six other people connected to the case were also suspected.
Permission for a special pre-trial investigation means that NABU detectives can complete the investigation without the participation of the accused and refer the case to the High Anti-Corruption Court for consideration on the merits.
