The investigation established that in March 2022, United Energy LLC purchased electricity worth more than UAH 716 million from PJSC NEC Ukrenergo. Despite the company's existing debt to the company, the head of the relevant department of "Ukrenergo" did not stop the sale. At the same time, one of the commercial banks acted as guarantor of the payment, and the decision to issue the guarantee was made by the board's chairman alone and in violation of the procedure.
NABU and SACPO liquidated a scheme of state's electricity theft from PJSC NEC Ukrenergo
On January 11, 2024, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SACPO) conducted the scheme liquidation of the acquisition of electric energy of PJSC NEC Ukrenergo and the funds' legalisation from its sale. The amount of losses to the state is more than UAH 716 million.
The NABU press service reported this on its Facebook page.
The organising person, the company's exhibitor, the board chairman of the bank and the private company director were informed about the suspicion.
The investigation established that in March 2022 United Energy LLC, at that time one of the largest traders in Ukraine, purchased electrical energy for more than UAH 716 million from PJSC NEC Ukrenergo. Despite the existing debt of the company to the company, the head of the relevant department of "Ukrenergo" did not stop the sale. At the same time, one of the commercial banks acted as the payment's guarantor, and the decision to issue the guarantee was made by the chairman of the board alone and in violation of the procedure, the message says.
In the future, the electricity was sold to actual market participants, and the received funds were transferred to the accounts of a foreign company controlled by the organiser of the scheme, which is also a business partner of a participant in the case of NABU and SACPO on embezzlement of PrivatBank funds. PJSC NEC Ukrenergo never received the money for the supplied electricity. When it turned to the guarantor bank with a demand to repay the debt, it was refused.
Qualification of the actions of the suspects:
The scheme organiser got Chapter 5 of Art. 191 and Chapter 3 of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
director of the department of PJSC NEC Ukrenergo — Chapter 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
the chairman of a commercial bank board — Chapter 2 of Art. 364-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
director of a private company — Chapter 5 of Art. 191 and Chapter 3 of Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Thanks to the timely actions of NABU and SACPO, funds for more than UAH 700 million were seized from the accounts of the companies involved in the scheme.
As part of international cooperation, they also blocked the funds in the company's accounts controlled by the scheme organiser in two European countries. At the same time, attempts to remove this blocking by interested persons by sending forged letters on behalf of detectives and prosecutors to the relevant foreign law enforcement agencies were recorded.
In addition, intending to prevent market participants from incurring significant debts to PJSC NEC Ukrenergo, NABU submitted proposals to the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NCSREP) regarding amendments to specific provisions of the Market Rules, which were supported.
The court sent the suspect of corruption under arrest
On November 27, the higher anti-corruption court chose a pre-trial measure against Viktor Zhora, the former deputy head of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection. Together with other persons, he is suspected of embezzling state funds for over UAH 62 million.
This was reported by the press service of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.
Thus, the court satisfied the request of the NABU detectives, agreed to by the SACPO prosecutor, and applied to the former deputy a preventive measure in the form of detention with the alternative of bail of 10 million UAH and imposition of procedural obligations in this case.
