The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), together with the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutorʼs Office (SAP), exposed an organized group that took possession of 159.5 million hryvnias allocated by the state and international partners for the restoration of Kharkivʼs critical infrastructure.
This was reported in NABU.
As the investigation established, in 2022 the group was organized by an influential businessman. In collusion with the first deputy general director of the Kharkiv Heat Networks utility company, he managed to conclude direct contracts with the companies under his control for the supply of pipe products, windows and technical salt. At the same time, NABU notes that the participants of the auction used the martial law as an excuse not to hold open auctions.
In the future, the "winner" through a number of gasket companies purchased the products from the manufacturer and resold them to the utility company at more than twice the price. At the same time, the utility company had direct economic relations with this manufacturer.
The perpetrators caused losses to the state of 159.5 million hryvnias, took possession of these funds and disposed of them at their own discretion. At the same time, part of these funds, namely 22 million hryvnias, was provided by the World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Revival) for the development of urban infrastructure.
The suspicion was reported to seven people, including the leader of the organized group, the first deputy general director and one of the directors of Kharkiv Heat Networks, as well as four people under the control of the leader of the organized group.
The participants are charged with the following articles:
- use of forged documents (Part 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — a fine of up to 73 000 hryvnias, probation supervision or imprisonment of up to two years);
- appropriation, use or waste of someone elseʼs property in particularly large amounts or by an organized group (Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code — imprisonment for 7-12 years with confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years);
- committing a criminal offense based on a prior conspiracy (Part 2 of Article 28 of the Criminal Code).
NABU notes that they continue to establish other criminal episodes of this group and other people who contributed to the commission of the crime.