Mykola Prysyazhnyuk

Mykola Prysyazhnyuk (; born 3 January 1960

Biography

Prysyazhnyuk graduated from Voronezh University and the Donbas Mining-Metallurgical Institute. He has worked as a diamond cutter before becoming a chief process engineer at Ordzhonikidzevugillya coal mine. He did not participate in the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election and 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election.

Minister of Agrarian Policy During his time as minister, he helped develop relations with China in the field of agriculture. The two countries considered cooperation in rural engineering, plant protection production, and the exchange of scientists. He also reached an agreement with foreign banks in Ukraine to work in cooperation with Ukrainian farmers, and in lending to domestic agricultural producers. Prysyazhnyuk also helped develop the programme "Concept of Rural Development" in order to develop the social infrastructure of rural populations and farms.

Criminal case The Prosecutor General's Office asked courts to arrest Prysyazhnyuk in early 2014 on charges of embezzlement worth more than 270 million hryvnias and they asked the court for restraint in the form of detention. On 21 March 2014, law enforcement officers seized both dollars and hryvnias from him, and Switzerland froze his bank account on 28 February. On 7 April, he was put on the wanted list of Ukraine and the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv gave permission for him to be detained. In 2017 the Prosecutor General's Office started the process of applying to the court permission to convict him in absentia.