NABU exposes scheme with Ukrnafta oil products for almost UAH 3 bln
NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office announced the exposure of a large-scale scheme to misappropriate oil products of PJSC "Ukrnafta" and launder the proceeds from their sale. According to the investigation, it concerns 100 thousand tons of fuel worth over UAH 2.88 billion.
Within the first episode, which covers 2017-2020, four participants of the scheme were notified of suspicion. Among them, NABU names a top-level organizer - one of the leaders of a well-known business group, a lower-level organizer, as well as the chairman of the board and the deputy chairman for commercial issues of joint-stock companies controlled by this group.
Regarding another person involved - the former vice president of "Ukrnafta", who is a foreigner - a written notice of suspicion was prepared. The documents were sent abroad for service within the framework of international cooperation. The controlling stake of "Ukrnafta" belongs to the state.
According to the investigation, the leaders of the business group organized the transfer of oil products to a controlled company through commission agreements. Then part of the fuel was transferred to other related companies for retail and wholesale sale through a network of gas stations.
Money from the sale of oil products, as NABU claims, was transferred to controlled companies, including abroad. To hide the ultimate owners, a network of offshore structures in Cyprus, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the British Virgin Islands was used.
NABU calculated that 100 thousand tons of oil products, mentioned in the case, accounted for almost 20% of all fuel sold at "Ukrnafta" gas stations during the period of the alleged scheme. Anti-corruption agencies are also investigating possible misappropriation of the company's property in subsequent periods, in particular already after the introduction of martial law.
A separate episode of the investigation concerns a possible information leak. The proceedings were conducted with operational support of the SBU, but NABU detectives stated that they discovered the transfer of information about planned investigative and procedural actions to a confidant of the scheme's organizers.
According to the investigation, an SBU official at the management level, whose unit provided support for this proceeding, may be involved in the disclosure of information. The investigation of this episode is ongoing.
The actions of the suspects were qualified under articles of the Criminal Code on misappropriation of property on an especially large scale and legalization of criminally obtained property. Only a court can establish the final guilt of the persons involved.
Based on materials from: NABU
