The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has uncovered a large-scale financial scheme during the completion of the Tashlytska pumped storage power plant for the state company “Energoatom”. Among those suspected in this case is the actual owner of several companies who organized the criminal scheme, as well as the former head of the department of the separate unit “Atomproektynhiniring” of the state enterprise “NAEK Energoatom”.
This is reported by Finway
Mechanism of embezzlement and the role of a foreign company
According to investigators, one of the companies controlled by the organizer of the scheme was engaged in the completion works of the Tashlytska HPP. Despite delays in the execution of works and violations of bankruptcy procedures regarding this company, more than 70 additional agreements were regularly concluded with it. These agreements altered the list, scope, and deadlines for the execution of works.
As reported by NABU, the influence of the actual owner of the company on the officials of “Energoatom” facilitated the conclusion of such agreements.
“According to one of these additional agreements, of which more than 70 were concluded in total, the press service notes, a set of equipment for the automated control system of the HPP was purchased at a total cost of over 305 million UAH. The purchase was made through a controlled foreign firm, which allowed the price of the equipment to be artificially inflated by almost 170 million UAH.”
Details of the investigation and further actions of law enforcement
The actions of the suspects are classified under part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — embezzlement, misappropriation of property, or acquisition of it through abuse of office in particularly large amounts. The organizer of the scheme has been detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. Further investigative actions are being conducted to identify all individuals involved in the corrupt scheme.
It was previously reported that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced suspicions against four participants in the criminal scheme of embezzling funds from a state enterprise that belongs to the management sphere of the State Agency for Reserve Management of Ukraine.