An embezzlement scheme worth 170 million is exposed at the completion of the Tashlyk HPP in Mykolaiv region

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office have uncovered a possible scheme to misappropriate funds of the state-ownedEnergoatom during the completion of the Tashlyk pumped storage power plant in Mykolaiv region. Due to the purchase of equipment at inflated prices, the state could have suffered losses of almost UAH 170 million.

According to the NABU and the SAPO, the suspects in the case include the actual owner of the group of companies involved in the work, as well as the former head of one of the departments of the Atomproektengineering division of Energoatom.

According to the investigation, the construction work at the facility was carried out by a company associated with the organizer of the scheme. Despite the violation of the deadlines and bankruptcy proceedings, the company continued to enter into new additional agreements with the organizer. According to law enforcement, there were more than 70 such agreements in total.

Investigators believe that this was made possible by the company owner's influence on Energoatom officials. The supplemental agreements changed the list of works, their scope and deadlines.

Law enforcement officers paid special attention to the purchase of equipment for the automated control system of the Tashlyk PSP. It was purchased for over UAH 305 million through a controlled foreign company.

According to the NABU and the SAPO, this scheme allowed to artificially inflate the cost of the equipment by almost UAH 170 million. This is the amount the investigation considers to be the loss that the state-owned enterprise could have suffered.

The actions of the defendants in the case were classified under the article on misappropriation of property on a particularly large scale. The organizer of the scheme was detained. Investigative actions are ongoing and the circle of other possible participants in the fraud is being established.

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