The former head of “Ukrtatnafta” was informed of a new suspicion in the case of misappropriation of fuel worth 2 billion hryvnias

Author:
Liza Brovko
Date:

The Bureau of Economic Security (BES) reported a new suspicion to the former acting first deputy chairman of the board of the Ukrtatnafta company Ruslan Lyapko. He is accused of misappropriating fuel worth two billion hryvnias.

Detectives received information that officials of the oil refining company illegally moved more than 72 thousand tons of crude oil from customs warehouses to the territory of the refinery through the network of main oil pipelines in order to make light petroleum products from it.

Later, the fuel was sold without showing profits in the accounting and tax records. The cost of sold products is approximately two billion hryvnias.

The suspect is currently in custody. His preliminary suspicion concerns deliberate evasion of payment of excise tax for January and February 2022 for almost 1.3 billion hryvnias.

  • In March, the SBU seized oil products worth 800 million hryvnias, which were withdrawn by the previous management of Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta through the scheme. Searches at the logistics bases and warehouses of the companies took place as part of the investigation into the corruption scheme of the former management.
  • Prior to that, Security Service employees, together with the Bureau of Economic Security, exposed the embezzlement schemes of 40 billion hryvnias by the former owners and top management of Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta. 10 episodes are under investigation. It is about the transfer of large batches of oil products to affiliated companies, which allowed tax evasion and led to the devaluation of the companyʼs assets. The investigation believes that the scheme worked in the interests of the actual owners and beneficiaries of the companies.
  • On February 1, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted a search of businessman Ihor Kolomoisky in this case.
  • The Security Service of Ukraine notified the chief accountant of Ukrtatnafta of suspicion in the case of embezzlement of 40 billion hryvnias.
  • After the investigation started, the company "Ukrtatnafta" urgently transferred 531 million hryvnias to the state budget.