NABU and SAPO exposed a large-scale scheme at Energoatom: losses were estimated at 170 million hryvnias

NABU and SAPO announced the exposure of a large-scale corruption scheme in the state enterprise “Energoatom”, related to the construction of the Tashlyk pumped-storage power plant in Mykolaiv region. According to the investigation, due to transactions with the purchase of equipment, the state could have suffered losses of almost 170 million hryvnias.

This was reported by the press service of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

Investigation: the cost of equipment was artificially inflated

Among the suspects in the case:

the actual owner of a group of companies, whom the investigation considers the organizer of the scheme;

the former head of one of the departments of the separate unit “Atomproektengineering”, which is part of the structure of “Energoatom”.

According to the law enforcement agencies, the company associated with the organizer of the scheme was engaged in the completion of the Tashlyk hydroelectric power plant. Despite constant disruptions to the work deadlines and even bankruptcy proceedings, new additional agreements continued to be concluded with the contractor.

Over 70 such contracts purchased equipment worth over UAH 305 million.

Investigators believe that the purchases were made through a foreign intermediary company, which allowed the cost of the equipment to be artificially inflated by almost UAH 170 million.

The organizer of the scheme was detained

Law enforcement officials reported that the organizer of the scheme has already been detained. He was suspected of embezzlement of property on an especially large scale.

The sanction of the article provides for a penalty of imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with confiscation of property.

The NABU emphasizes that the investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officers are checking the possible involvement of other officials and participants in the scheme in the embezzlement of funds during the implementation of the state energy project.