SBU and NABU uncover scheme to embezzle almost UAH 60 million from Ukrenergo
14 January 16:03
The Security Service of Ukraine and the NABU said they had uncovered a “large-scale scheme” of embezzlement of funds from NPC Ukrenergo, which allegedly resulted in the misappropriation of almost UAH 60 million. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to the SBU.
It is noted that the former deputy chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Council, who was a deputy of the regional council at the time of the crime, was involved in organizing the fraud. The suspect is currently hiding abroad.
According to the SBU, in April 2022, he and his accomplices organized a scheme to illegally steal electricity from Ukrenergo in the amount of UAH 58.44 million.
To carry out this activity, the MP engaged two accomplices: the founder and director of a private energy trading company in Kyiv.
They set up three fictitious companies through which they received electricity from the United Energy System of Ukraine and sold it to end consumers.
None of these companies paid Ukrenergo for the electricity they received.
The participants of the scheme moved the funds received from consumers into the shadow, disguising them as payments of debt obligations to affiliated companies. Then these “funds paid as debt” were transferred to the accounts of another company registered in the Balkans.
“According to the conclusions of the commission forensic economic examination, as a result of these actions, NPC Ukrenergo suffered losses in the amount of UAH 58.44 million. In the course of complex measures, law enforcement officers searched the director of the Kyiv-based company and served him with a notice of suspicion, while the other two participants in the fraud were served with a notice of suspicion in absentia,” the SBU said in a statement.
The former MP and the founder of the company, who are hiding abroad, were served suspicion notices of organizing and aiding and abetting the misappropriation of property (Part 3, 5 of Article 191) and money laundering (Part 3 of Article 209).
The actions of the detained director of the private company are classified under Part 5 Art. 191, Part 3 Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The issue of choosing a type of detention is being decided.
The investigation is ongoing to bring to justice all participants of the fraud.
The offenders face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.