Anti-Corruption Agency Seeks Confiscation of Ex-Deputy Energy Minister’s $137,000 in Assets

Civil Asset Forfeiture Lawsuit Filed

According to Главком: Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) has launched a civil forfeiture case against Oleksandr Kheylo, a former deputy energy minister previously implicated in a $500,000 bribery scandal. The lawsuit targets a residential house and a land plot in the Kyiv region, collectively valued at approximately 5 million Ukrainian hryvnias (around $137,000). These properties were acquired between 2021 and 2023, during Kheylo’s tenure as deputy minister.

An analysis of Kheylo’s declared income revealed no legal means to fund these purchases. The prosecutor is asking the court to declare the assets unjustified and seize them for the state. While official ownership is registered under third parties, the prosecution asserts the assets were actually bought on behalf of and for the benefit of the official. The lawsuit states that 'the official retains the ability, directly or indirectly, to perform actions equivalent to exercising the right of disposal over such assets.'

Extortion Scheme Details

Kheylo is also suspected of orchestrating an extortion scheme, demanding $500,000 from managers of state-owned enterprises in the Lviv-Volyn coal basin. The bribe was sought in exchange for transferring mining equipment belonging to a state coal company operating near Pokrovsk. The alleged scheme involved several accomplices, including:

• a private energy trader;
• the head of an energy company from the Mykolaiv region;
• the director of a mining enterprise from the Donetsk region.

This case highlights intensified anti-corruption efforts targeting high-ranking officials, particularly in strategic sectors like energy. Ensuring transparency and accountability among public officials, as well as recovering illegally acquired assets, remains a critical focus. The outcomes of such proceedings could significantly shape public trust in state institutions and their capacity to combat corruption.