Another €700 000 returned to Ukraine from abroad in the corruption case at Polygraph Plant

One of the defendants in the corruption case at the state-owned enterprise Polygraph Plant pleaded guilty and paid €700 000 in restitution.

This was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

The funds were seized from his accounts in France. After the French National Financial Prosecutorʼs Office lifted the seizure of the funds, they were transferred to the account of a state-owned enterprise.

This is the third return of funds from abroad in this case. In October last year, the French company SURYS transferred €3.37 million. In June, another €450 000 was returned. In total, €4.5 million was transferred to the state-owned enterprise.

What is known about the case?

According to the investigation, in 2013, the then head of Polygraph Plant acquired an Estonian company through front persons, through which he organized the purchase of materials for the production of forms for passports, ID cards, driverʼs licenses, etc.

The “laying” company purchased materials directly from manufacturers, then resold them to the state-owned enterprise at prices that were four to six times inflated. Under this scheme, the enterprise siphoned off over UAH 450 million.

In addition, the suspects registered intellectual property rights to the graphic elements of Ukrainian passports with a foreign company, which allowed them to receive additional remuneration — royalties. The Cabinet of Ministers, at the initiative of NABU and SAPO, stopped these payments in early 2022.

In total, eight suspects were reported for suspicion in the proceedings, including the former head of a state-owned enterprise.

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