Main points
- NABU and SAPO exposed a large-scale corruption scheme in the State Grain Corporation of Ukraine, as a result of which the state lost 105 thousand tons of grain worth over 28.8 million US dollars.
- Five people, including former top officials of the corporation and representatives of private business, were suspected, and three people involved in the case were detained.
Corruption with grain / Collage by Channel 24, photo by SAP
Law enforcement officers have uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme in the state grain corporation of Ukraine. Because of it, the state lost more than 100,000 tons of grain worth tens of millions of dollars.
A scheme worth tens of millions: how was grain withdrawn from a state-owned company?
SAPO prosecutors and NABU detectives have exposed an organized group involved in the seizure of grain from JSC “State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine”. The investigation reported that the state lost 105 thousand tons of products worth over 28.8 million US dollars due to the transactions.
Suspicions were announced against five individuals, including former top officials of the corporation, as well as representatives of private business. Their actions are classified under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in particular, regarding misappropriation of property, money laundering, and forgery of documents.
The investigation established that in 2021, the management of the state-owned company concluded contracts with a foreign company for the supply of feed corn. After the actual shipment of more than 100 thousand tons of grain, the participants in the scheme forged documents to create the appearance of control over the products.
Grain was sold abroad without payment to the state
Thanks to the fake documents, the organizers were able to dispose of the grain and sell it to foreign buyers without transferring funds to the state-owned company. Among the sales destinations are Iran, Turkey, and Egypt.
The participants in the scheme legalized the funds received from the sale through financial transactions, mixing them with legitimate income. Currently, law enforcement officers have detained three people involved in the case, and the issue of imposing preventive measures on them is being resolved. The investigation is currently ongoing.
US lifts sanctions on Russian ships: including one involved in Ukrainian grain theft
-
The US has lifted sanctions on three Russian vessels, including a vessel involved in the export of Ukrainian grain.
-
The vessel Sv Nikolay was previously used to transport agricultural products from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Turkey.