The law enforcement officers announced the suspicion of two officials in the case of fraud during the purchase of products as humanitarian aid in the amount of 62,5 million hryvnias. About this reported in the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.
According to mass media, it is about the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi and former deputy head of the Ministry of Economy Oleksandr Hryban, who is currently a special adviser to the Minister of Economy of Ukraine on investment, innovation and war risk insurance.
According to the law enforcement agency, on August 24, 2023, NABU and SAP exposed abuses in the amount of UAH 62,5 million in the purchase of food products to meet the needs of the state during martial law. "These food products were intended as humanitarian aid for the population of Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk, and Poltava regions and the city of Kyiv. Former and current top officials are involved in the implementation of the equipment."
As established during the pre-trial investigation, in March 2022 the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi implemented a scheme that provided for the purchase for the needs of regional military administrations at the expense of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" products from a controlled company at prices 2-3 times higher than market prices.
As a result of the implementation of the specified scheme from March to August 2022, JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" incurred losses in the amount of UAH 28,8 million (including VAT).
In addition, in the same period with the participation of Taras Vysotskyi food products for the needs of the state were purchased at inflated prices. As in the first episode, the price increase occurred precisely at the stage of the sale of products by one controlled company to another.
To ensure the purchase of products, the current Deputy Minister of Economy was also involved in the scheme — Oleksandr Hryban. In particular, he hid data about the availability of more favorable offers from other market participants, including Ukrainian manufacturers, and also induced OVA officials to illegally approve applications and invoices for the purchase of products from a controlled company.
As a result of the operation of the scheme from March to August 2022, JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" suffered losses in the amount of UAH 33,7 million. After receiving the payment, the money was transferred to a foreign company with signs of fictitiousness for further legalization.
Currently, the above-mentioned persons have been notified of the suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The question of choosing precautionary measures for the suspect is being resolved. The pre-trial investigation continues, other possible participants in the crime are being identified.
We will remind you that in October of last year NABU searched Hryban and Vysotskyi.
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