Court arrests suspect in embezzlement of 170 million at construction of power plant in Mykolaiv region

The High Anti-Corruption Court has imposed a preventive measure on one of the defendants in the case of misappropriation of almost UAH 170 million of funds of the state-owned Energoatom during the construction of the Tashlyk hydroelectric power plant in Mykolaiv region.

According to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, on June 3, the HACC investigating judge imposed a preventive measure of detention on the actual owner of a number of companies, whom the investigation considers to be the organizer of the scheme.

At the same time, the court set an alternative measure of restraint in the form of bail in the amount of UAH 30 million. If granted, the suspect will be subject to a number of procedural obligations.

According to the NABU and the SAPO, a scheme to misappropriate funds of a state-owned enterprise was implemented during the construction of the Tashlyk PSP. The investigation believes that a company controlled by the organizer was used to supply equipment for an automated control system worth UAH 305 million. The purchase was made through a foreign company, and the cost of the equipment, according to law enforcement, was overstated by almost UAH 170 million.

Photo: NABU

As part of the investigation, two people were notified of suspicion - the actual owner of a number of companies and the former head of the department of the separate division "Atomproektengineering" of the state enterprise "NNEGC "Energoatom". Their actions are qualified under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The SAPO noted that it considers bail in the amount of UAH 30 million insufficient to prevent the risks that led to the imposition of the preventive measure. In this regard, prosecutors are preparing an appeal against the investigating judge's ruling.

The Tashlytska PSPP is a pumped storage power plant located near Pivdennoukrainsk in Mykolaiv region. It connects the Tashlyk Reservoir with the Oleksandrivka Reservoir on the Southern Bug River.

Андрій Колісніченко