Court Seizes Documents in South Ukrainian NPP Corruption Investigation - UAH 17M at Stake

The court allowed investigators to seize documents from a company suspected of misappropriating public funds allocated for the South Ukrainian NPP project. The documents will help the investigation into corruption schemes.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

According to the ruling of the South Ukrainian City Court of April 16, law enforcement officers are investigating a scheme under which officials of a public joint-stock company (PJSC) could have misappropriated significant amounts.

The investigation is part of a criminal proceeding on suspicion of fictitious entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion and embezzlement of budget funds under Part 2 of Article 205, Part 2 of Article 209, Part 2 of Article 212, Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The case concerns the reconstruction of technical water supply for the South Ukrainian NPP.

According to the investigation, the company entered into a contract with a separate division of the state-owned company to implement a project to reconstruct the water supply system for units 1-3 at the Tashlyk Reservoir.

The project is funded from the state budget. At the same time, the company entered into agreements with a number of companies that have signs of fictitiousness to purchase materials, including rock mass. Investigators found that these companies bought raw materials for UAH 20 per cubic meter, but sold them to the customer for UAH 420, which is 20 times more expensive.

In addition, law enforcement officers examined the website of a company that unites several granite quarries in the Mykolaiv region and established its address. They plan to seize documents from this company. In particular, tax invoices and supporting accounting for 2014-2015, which are important for further examinations.

The investigating judge, having examined the case file, agreed with the arguments of the law enforcement officers and allowed the original documents to be seized without summoning the company's representatives, as there is a risk of their destruction or alteration. The ruling states that the investigation has been ongoing since 2016.

In February, the court extended the preventive measures for the company's director, who is suspected of embezzling funds during repairs at the South Ukrainian NPP. The issue in question is the overhaul of the splash pool's waterproofing coating, for which more than UAH 17 million was allocated from the state budget.

This is not the first time that the South Ukrainian NPP has been involved in cases of misappropriation of budget funds, embezzlement and abuse. In November, the High Anti-Corruption Court scheduled a hearing in the case of misappropriation of UAH 12.3 million involving the plant's executives.

Анна Бальчінос