The National Police has accused former head of "Gas Transmission Operator" Makohon of causing 18 billion UAH in damages to the state.

The National Police of Ukraine has reported suspicions against the former head of LLC "Gas Transmission System Operator," who caused over 18 billion in losses to the state budget and fled abroad based on a fake travel certificate, reports the press service of the agency.

The individual in question is Serhiy Makohon, according to media reports.

According to the police, in 2021, the monopolistic company responsible for transporting natural gas to consumers in Ukraine and EU countries, under the leadership of the official, generated a net profit of 20 billion UAH, 90% of which was supposed to be paid to the state budget as dividends.

However, investigators found that the suspect decided not to distribute the profits and did not allocate the funds from the "Gas Transmission System Operator" to the country's budget, resulting in material damages to the state exceeding 18 billion UAH.

After the supervisory board of the LLC dismissed the violator in September 2022 due to unsatisfactory performance of the strategic enterprise, he submitted false information to an order allegedly regarding his business trip to Vienna and left the country, claims the National Police.

For the committed violations, the suspect faces up to five years of imprisonment.