The disciplinary commission is conducting an official investigation into the actions of Oleksandr Bilchuk, who was temporarily suspended by the Cabinet of Ministers from the post of head of the State Aviation Service of Ukraine due to the decision to transfer the maintenance of repair documentation for Mi-8MT(MTV) helicopters to a foreign company associated with the Russian Federation. If a crime is found in his actions, a criminal case will be opened against him. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive comment to UNN by former Deputy Prosecutor General, lawyer Oleksiy Bahanets.
Context
Earlier, UNN reported that in early August, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, under the leadership of Oleksandr Bilchuk, reported on the allegedly successful resolution of the issue of maintaining repair documentation for Mi-8MT(MTV) type helicopters by identifying a company that would have the right to do so. The agency did not specify the name of the company.
It later turned out that it was AAL Group Ltd, registered in the United Arab Emirates, in the Sharjah Airport International Free (SAIF) Zone – i.e., a foreign company operating in an offshore jurisdiction. Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, announced from the parliament rostrum that the ultimate beneficiaries of AAL Group Ltd are the company "Russian Helicopters," which is part of the state defense concern "Rostec." According to the MP, many high-level employees of this company have Russian passports. In May 2024, the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) declared the foreign company AAL Group Ltd unsuitable for cooperation.
Details
"In this situation, the further development of events and the responsibility of this official will depend on the results of the official investigation. That is, the higher organization or higher body that will be authorized to make decisions about his responsibility, including (evaluating his - ed.) suitability for the position, must make a decision. Whether to bring him to disciplinary responsibility, or to dismiss him from his position. Or even, if there are sufficient grounds, to transfer the materials of the official investigation, for example, to the prosecutor's office or the Security Service of Ukraine, if there are signs of a crime in his actions that are subject to investigation by the Security Service of Ukraine," said Oleksiy Bahanets.
In addition, according to the lawyer, if the Security Service of Ukraine, during the inspection, finds signs of a crime in Bilchuk's actions, it will be necessary to register a criminal proceeding and conduct a pre-trial investigation.
"That is, if the Security Service sees signs of a crime in these actions that are subject to its investigation, it has the right to register a criminal proceeding and investigate. And if there are sufficient grounds, to bring this official to criminal responsibility," explained Oleksiy Bahanets.
According to the lawyer, it is not excluded that it may be about state treason. It is also not excluded that facts may be revealed that indicate signs of an official crime, without revealing motives that threaten national security.
"But, probably, if an official investigation is being conducted, it means that there were already some grounds for this, and therefore, of course, we should wait for a decision from the authorized bodies. And so, of course, without studying them, without these materials, it is difficult to say what kind of crime will be here," said Oleksiy Bahanets.
Addendum
"Ukroboronprom" called on the State Aviation Service to reconsider the decision, as the transfer of maintenance of repair documentation for Mi-8MT(MTV) helicopters to AAL Group Ltd creates risks of sensitive information leakage during the war and threatens the work of Ukrainian defense enterprises.
Experts interviewed by UNN, commenting on the situation, noted that Ukraine has certified domestic companies with relevant competencies that have been performing maintenance and repair of Mi-8 helicopters since 2014 and are included in state registers of service providers. At the same time, experts warn about the risks of information leakage regarding the combat modifications of these helicopters, flight structure, and technical features of the aircraft, which may complicate their further maintenance.