The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office informed the general director of the separate division of "Energoatom" "Atomproektengineering" about the suspicion of embezzlement of 100 million hryvnias during the construction of the Centralized Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Chernobyl. This position is held by Mykola Bozhko. Suspicion was also received by the manager and employees of the company of the general construction contractor LLC "BC "KBR". About this said in the notification of NABU.
In total, five members of the organized group, which caused almost UAH 100 million in damages to SE "NAEK "Energoatom" received suspicion.
As the investigation established, in 2017-2020, works on the construction of the Centralized Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel were carried out for the needs of the SE "NAEK "Energoatom". In 2020, in connection with the adjustment of the construction project, it became necessary to purchase works upon its completion. In December of the same year, a contract for the completion of the storage facility was concluded between PE "Atomproektengineering", which is part of the structure of SE NAEK "Energoatom", and a private company bypassing open tenders. In order to take over the funds of SE Energoatom NAEK, the price of the contract was tripled from 421 million UAH to 1,497 billion UAH by additional agreements, in particular by adding to its conditions the supply of radiation control system equipment. This equipment was purchased by the contractor company at market value, and then in 2021, it was sold by SE "NAEK Energoatom" for three times more.
As a result of these actions, SE NAEK "Energoatom" overpaid almost UAH 100 million. Actions of persons qualified under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Currently, the question of choosing a preventive measure for the suspect is being resolved.
Preliminary investigation of "Scheme"
In turn, the journalists of "Scheme" conducted theirs earlier investigation and received an audio recording of a meeting in a separate division of the Energoatom company, which acts as the customer for the construction of the Centralized Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Chernobyl. Analysis and comparison of it with other facts and events of that time allows us to talk about its authenticity with high probability. Meeting participants identified by "Schemes" refused to comment on the recording, but did not deny that such a meeting took place.
According to journalists, this conversation took place on December 28, 2020, in the office of the head of "Atoproektengineering" Mykola Bozhka in the presence of private contractors and subcontractors, who for a long time used state funds for the construction of the Chernobyl repository. It follows from the conversation that some of the funds have disappeared.
"You understand that the money is gone, sold, spent and so on. It is necessary to find other sources of financing, and they must be somehow legalized. As? We don't quite understand yet" - says a voice similar to the voice of Mykola Bozhek, head of "Atomproektengineering", a separate division of "Energoatom", which acts as a construction customer from the state.
A specific example is heard in the conversation - the purchase of one of the key elements of the repository, the radiation control system.
"You were paid an additional 22 for the radiation control system. Do I understand correctly? I had to save you and save myself, and that's why we went to real violations there. We paid you money for non-purpose. Before the first inspection", - says a voice similar to the head of Atomproektengineering.
"Schem" journalists received tax reports that confirm that on the eve of this conversation, in the period from December 17 to 21, 2020, the construction subcontractor "Ukrenergomontazh" received an additional 22 million for radiation control systems - but already from the new general contractor engaged under the new government - the firm "CBD".
In the conversation, Bozhko himself admits that these are non-targeted expenses, since "Energoatom" has already purchased a radiation control system through the former construction contractor "Ukrbudmontazh".
The experts contacted by "Scheme" see the above facts as signs of several crimes at once.
Dmytro Nesteruk, the director and sole owner of BC CBR LLC, did not respond to a detailed request from journalists, but in his correspondence he noted that the work at the nuclear facility was not difficult for his company, and the most difficult part of the new general contractor's work was "to adapt after of the previous general contractor, who left behind a lot of debts."
In 2021, Ukraine officially announced that it had stopped exporting spent nuclear fuel from Ukrainian nuclear power plants to Russia. Previously, according to Energoatom, the state operator of Ukrainian nuclear power plants, Ukraine paid Russia 150-200 million dollars annually for this. In the early 2000s, the Ukrainian authorities decided to build their own Centralized Storage. Energoatom started construction only in 2017, but commissioning is constantly postponed.
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