Ukraine suspends pre-trial investigation into NGO Slava Ukraini
Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have suspended the pretrial investigation into the possible embezzlement of donation funds collected in Estonia by the charity Slava Ukraini.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office told ERR's Russian-language portal the pretrial investigation has been suspended because the main suspect is listed as wanted. According to the authorities, Hennadi Vaskiv, head of the Ukrainian NGO All for Victory, left Ukraine in March.
"We also inform you that, pursuant to Article 222 of the Ukrainian Code of Criminal Procedure, information obtained during the pretrial investigation may only be disclosed with the written consent of the investigator or prosecutor and to the extent they deem appropriate. At this time, disclosing other circumstances of the criminal proceedings would be premature and could negatively impact the ongoing investigation," the Prosecutor General's Office added.
Two weeks ago, ERR reported the Pechersk District Court held a closed hearing on November 29 to review materials gathered during the pretrial investigation. Ukrainian law enforcement believes that €411,000 may have been misappropriated from the Estonian NGO Slava Ukraini, with Vaskiv as the main suspect.
Ukrainian authorities suspect Vaskiv of illegally using charitable donations received by Slava Ukraini for personal enrichment on a significant scale.
Between September 2022 and March 2023, €1,555,770 was transferred from Slava Ukraini's accounts to All for Victory, intended for the purchase of vehicles, food supplies, and equipment for the Ukrainian military. According to documents, the nonprofit organization led by Vaskiv was supposed to procure these items from a single Ukrainian supplier.
However, law enforcement agencies allege that Vaskiv misused more than €411,000 of the donated funds for his own benefit, causing substantial financial damage to Slava Ukraini.
In October, Slava Ukraini announced it would cease operations due to dwindling donations, although it plans to complete ongoing projects by December.
A separate criminal case in Estonia involving Johanna-Maria Lehtme, Slava Ukraini founder and a former board member, remains under pretrial investigation, with charges already filed against her.
According to the Ukrainian business registry, Lehtme registered herself as a sole proprietor in the real estate sector in April this year in Lviv, at the same address as Vaskiv's company.
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Editor: Karin Koppel, Helen Wright
