Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine is investigating the case of the creation of a criminal organization, the members of which in 2010-2014 committed several serious crimes with the purpose of seizing property of state enterprises of the system of the Infrastrucutre Ministry and Energy and Coal Industry Ministry, in particular, national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy and OJSC Ukrgasvydobutok, as well as the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and other state banking institutions.
The press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office has reported, referring to the spokesman of Prosecutor General’s Office Yuriy Boichenko that it was established that the group of persons (several dozen people) included businessmen, representatives of shell companies and the illegal administrative employees of some departments of central executive power controlled the commitment of crimes.
“It was also established that the said criminal organization from 2009 until Feb. 2014 organized special auctions and sold liquefied gas that was meant for the needs of households. Gas was sold to enterprises under control for own commercial needs at the low prices, and the difference of the price compared to the market price was around Hr 1 billion. Damage caused by the operation of the criminal organization to the state amounts to over Hr 3 billion,” reads the report.
Boichenko said that in February most of members of the said criminal group had moved outside Ukraine and are hiding from the investigators.
“At present, the investigators arrested assets – money, movable and immovable property worth over Hr 2 billion. Measures to find other assets of the group staying abroad are being taken,” Boichenko said.
Today, the investigators notified four members of the group on suspicion in committing crimes foreseen in Article 255 (participation in the criminal organization), Article 205 (fictitious business), Articles 191 and 364 (seizure of property via abuse of office) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
All persons notified on the suspicion are put on the international wanted list.
As reported, Serhiy Kurchenko was head of the supervisory board of Eastern European Fuel and Energy Company LLC (VETEK, Kyiv). Kurchenko was placed on the international wanted list.
On July 15, the economic court in Kyiv has arrested the assets and property of VETEK. The court also arrested property and shares in Kharkiv’s public joint-stock company FC Metalist and Metalist FC LLC, including the club’s stadium and its training base. Under the claim, assets and property of another seven limited liability companies registered in Kyiv were arrested: Muine, Ankora-torh, Amadina, Ainam, Aminami, Khihan and Alkonost, which are part of the VETEK Group.
According to the document, Intertransgroup said that there are claims worth Hr 1.233 billion to public joint-stock company Brokbusinessbank (Kyiv, under control of VETEK structures).
