United Energy Systems of Ukraine
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United Energy Systems of Ukraine, abbreviated to UESU (Ukrainian: Єдині енергетичні системи України, ЄЕСУ), was a natural gas trading company in Ukraine. In mid of 2000s, it was the largest natural gas importer in the region. Since 2000 the company had been affected by a series of scandals.
Predecessor of the United Energy Systems of Ukraine was established in 1989 by Yulia Tymoshenko as a family cooperative in Dnipropetrovsk. In 1991, it was set up as the Ukrainian Petrol Company, which sold gasoline to farmers in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. In 1995, the company was reorganized the United Energy Systems of Ukraine.[1] At the time it primarily managed Russian natural-gas supplies to Ukraine under Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko. Her ties to Lazarenko, who was arrested in 1999 and convicted in the U.S. on charges of corruption and money laundering, prompted a series of investigations, which in turn led to a series of scandals from 2000 to 2004.[2]
[edit] Tymoshenko scandals
In August 2000, Olexandr Tymoshenko, a member of the board of the UESU and the husband of Yulia Tymoshenko, was arrested by the Ukrainian police. Together with Valery Falkovych, first deputy general director of the corporation, Tymoshenko was officially accused of embezzling US$800,000 in public funds through the export of rolled metal to Asia during the 1990s.[3] Yulia Tymoshenko served from 1995 to 1997 as the director of the company. Like her husband, Yulia Tymoshenko was arrested and she staid under arrest for several weeks on forgery and gas smuggling charges.[4] Kiev's Appeal Court canceled lodging of criminal proceedings against her and her husband in May 2004 [5] and in September 2005 Russian prosecutors canceled her arrest warrant.[6]
Former head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Valentyn Nalyvaichenko claimed in 2010 that a document detailing the role of FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Semyon Mogilevich in the gas trade in the mid-1990s including ties with top officials close to Tymoshenko was destroyed by his predecessor Oleksandr Turchynov. Turchynov called such claims an "elaborate ruse" to discredit his close ally, Tymoshenko.[7]
The company was dissolved in 2009.[citation needed]
The Ukrainian security service opened a criminal investigation into the embezzlement of $405 million by Energy Systems of Ukraine early July 2011.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Varfolomeyev, Oleg (1998-02-06). "Will Yulia Tymoshenko be Ukraine's first woman prime minister?". PRISM, Volume 4, Issue 3. The Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20061125034223/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=5&issue_id=249&article_id=2820. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
- ^ Zarakhovich, Yuri (2005-01-30). "Ukraine's Iron Lady". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1022561,00.html. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
- ^ Central Europe Review - Ukrainian News Review
- ^ "Yulia Tymoshenko: Ukrain's 'Iron Lady'". The Daily Telegraph. 2011-06-24. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/8597402/Yulia-Tymoshenko-Ukrains-Iron-Lady.html. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
- ^ Court closes Tymoshenkos cases / Ukrayinska Pravda[dead link]
- ^ "Ukraine ex-PM warrant cancelled". BBC News. 2005-09-26. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4283844.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
- ^ New and conflicting details emerge over Mogilevich’s alleged involvement in nation, Kyiv Post (December 10, 2010)
- ^ Tymoshenko faces yet another investigation, Kyiv Post (July 5, 2011)
