The bill (reg.No.11012) submitted by
the Cabinet of Ministers suggests establishing criminal liability not only for
theft of electrical and heat energy through unauthorized use (current version
of article 188? of the Criminal Code) but also for
similar theft of natural gas. Particularly, criminal liability is established
for unauthorized use of natural gas without accounting devices (if the use of such
devices is obligatory) or for intentional damage of accounting devices.
The
respective amendments are to be applied to article 188? of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The
Committee members upheld the bill, the adoption of which, according to them,
will promote prevention of crimes in gas sphere, as well as maintain discipline
in the process of gas supply and consumption according to the amounts of
natural gas determined by the agreements.