Case on corruption conspiracy between entrepreneur and officials sent to court in Odesa

Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation have completed a pre-trial investigation in Odesa region against an entrepreneur involved in a scheme to extort grain exporters.

According to the SBI press service, the indictment has been sent to court.

In early April 2024, SBI officers detained an entrepreneur and two officials of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia regions who organized a corruption scheme to extort money for issuing phytosanitary certificates and other documents for barley and corn exports.

The service of the dealers in issuing the necessary documents for companies planning to export barley to China cost USD 22.5 thousand for every 15 thousand tons in 2023 and USD 30 thousand in 2024.

The case against the officials of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection was previously sent to court. Their accomplice, an entrepreneur, is charged with obtaining undue advantage and forgery of an official document (Article 369-2 (2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Article 358 (3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment for up to 5 years.

Meanwhile, agro-traders accused representatives of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) of putting pressure and blocking work at enterprises in the port of Odesa. On December 19, BES detectives, citing alleged tax evasion, paralyzed the activities of dozens of companies operating in the port of Odesa.

On January 9, the BES announced that it had exposed a group of companies through which funds of American investors were withdrawn for tax evasion during grain transshipment.

According to the BES, the group of companies evaded paying UAH 30 million in income tax while transshipping wheat. The companies are part of a holding company that is a resident of the United Arab Emirates and is involved in a number of criminal proceedings and court cases regarding the illegal withdrawal of funds from American investment funds. Searches are currently underway at the grain terminal.

Earlier, the BES detained grain that was being smuggled out of the port of Odesa.