OREANDA-NEWS. January 11, 2011. Malinovsky District Court of Odessa satisfied the complaint of OJSC “ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih”on the judgment to initiate a criminal case. Thus, all charges against the enterprise on an alleged smuggling attempt, previously made by the State Customs Service and the Security Service of Ukraine, have been recalled. On Friday, December 24, the prosecutor’s office representatives announced in court during the hearing that his office sees no illegal nature in the actions of OJSC “ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih”, and therefore grounds for criminal prosecution are nonexistent. The court's decision also has lifted an arrest of the party of coal imported by the enterprise in August and was taken off as an exhibit in a criminal case. The coal wasdetainedt by State Customs Committee and all this time was kept in the port.

Rinat Starkov, CEO, ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih: "We welcome this decision, we expected it as the only possible and fair one. We have never had doubts about the rightness of our position, because we have presented all evidences of the correctness of our declared price on imported coal and the absence of any violations in our actions. It is gratifying that the court put the end to this case, which from the beginning harmed the image of Ukraine as a country attractive for foreign investment."

It is worth adding that the last ship with a party of coking coal, imported by OJSC “ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih” last week, was cleared on the contract price in accordance with active law. Thus, even before the court decision State Customs Service has recognized the fair contract price of coal, according to which OJSC “ArcelorMittal Kryviy Rih” imports coal to Ukraine.