The Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) is conducting procedural control over a criminal proceeding opened in respect of the seizure of public funds after to the organization of procurement of track superstructures at too high prices by officials of the branch of PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia – the Center for Provision of Production.
The press service of SAPO reported that the pretrial investigation is being conducted by detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
SAPO said that a group of officials of the Ukrzaliznytsia’s branch for their own benefit with involvement of affiliated intermediary companies organized open auctions to procure switches, spare parts to them and element sets, the only manufacturer of which in Ukraine is Dniprovsky Switch Plant.
“According to the results of the auction, only in 2016, through affiliated enterprises, procurement of these products was made for the railways of Ukraine at pre-inflated and economically unreasonable prices, which resulted in losses totaling more than Hr 93.2 million,” SAPO said.
Law enforcers on Jan. 15 notified seven persons about suspicion of committing a crime under the said criminal proceedings. Three of them were detained in the manner prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code.
SAPO prosecutors will petition the investigators and judges to select a measure of restraint in the form of custody with respect to the defendants in the case, determining the amount of bail depending on the circumstances of the crime and the property status of each suspect.
Measures are also being taken to establish the property belonging to the suspects for imposing on the arrest and possible confiscation in order to ensure the possibility of compensation for the damage caused.
In addition, the detectives are investigating in the involvement of one of the deputies in committing these criminal offenses.
As reported, in 2016, Ukrzaliznytsia upgraded or repaired 213.6 km of track, which is 4.5 times more than in 2015.
