Investigators send case of ex-head of Odesa regional administration to court

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has sent to court a case against the former director of the state enterprise Polygraph Combine and head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Maksym Stepanov, and five other people.

According to the SAPO press service, they are accused of obtaining illegal benefits in the form of copyrights to design elements of Ukrainian documents (a stylized trident and a map of Ukraine), money laundering, and seizing more than €20 million from a state-owned enterprise by overcharging for the supply of holograms by 4-6 times.

The international investigation established that the official demanded that a French company re-register these copyrights to an Estonian company controlled by him, which subsequently began to receive royalties for the use of the protective design even after the official was dismissed from his post. Part of the funds, including USD 124,790, was transferred to his daughter's account.

In addition, according to the investigation, the person was involved in the misappropriation of funds of a state-owned enterprise by overstating the prices for the supply of holograms by 4-6 times.

The investigation was carried out by a joint investigation team (JIT) of Ukraine, France, and Estonia under the coordination of Eurojust.

Earlier, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine served a notice of suspicion to the former director of Polygraph Plant of receiving illegal benefits in the form of copyrights to the design of security elements of passports and ID cards, as well as legalization of proceeds from their use.

In 2023, the Appeals Chamber of the High Anti-Corruption Court upheld the arrest in absentia for Maksym Stepanov, former director of the state-owned enterprise Polygraph Combine and head of the Odesa Regional State Administration.

According to law enforcement officials, in 2013, the then head of Polygraphkombinat, Maksym Stepanov , purchased an Estonian company using front companies, expressing to foreign partners a mandatory requirement for cooperation - the supply of products through the "right" company. He then organized the purchase of materials for the production of document forms (passports of Ukrainian citizens, ID cards, driver's licenses, etc.) through this company. The front company purchased the materials directly from manufacturers and then resold them to the state-owned enterprise at a 4-6 times higher price. During 2013-2016, a group of criminals seized funds worth about half a billion hryvnias through this scheme.

The NABU reports that the former director of Polygraph Combine disguised the sale of 45% of his shares in the company, which was not actually operating (actual market value of about USD 100 thousand) to another controlled company for USD 1.35 million. Then he declared them, which actually allowed him to use them. A part of the funds in the amount of USD 150 thousand was transferred directly to the accounts of the ex-director's close relatives.

Кирило Бойко