Oleksandr Katsuba, former deputy chairman of the board of Naftogaz of Ukraine and member of the Supervisory Board of Chornomornaftogaz JSC, found himself at the center of several criminal investigations related to corruption schemes and frauds surrounding the acquisition of two drilling rigs in 2010-2013. These are the so-called "Boik towers", which became a symbol of large-scale abuses in the implementation of public procurement.
As it became known from the reports of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Katsuba concluded a settlement agreement in one of the cases related to inflated prices for self-elevating drilling platforms. The agreement included a penalty, but its details were not made public. According to this agreement, Katsuba compensated the state with about 100 million hryvnias, which at that time was less than 0.4% of the total amount of damages.
However, despite the peace agreement, Oleksandr Katsuba remains involved in five more criminal proceedings. These cases concern the appropriation of funds of Naftogaz of Ukraine by abuse of office, drawing up false documents and legalization of illegal income. The investigations of these cases cover the period from 2010 to 2013, when the project for the purchase of drilling rigs, known in the media as "Boika rigs", was implemented.
These rigs were supposed to be used for gas production in the Black Sea, but their purchase became the object of mass accusations of corruption. This project turned out to be one of the largest in the history of Ukraine in terms of cost overruns and misuse of budget funds.
Katsuba, as a key figure in the procurement organization, may be involved in the actions of a criminal organization that operated under the leadership of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, and in the commission of a number of crimes related to embezzlement of state funds. According to official data, losses amounting to billions of hryvnias were caused with the help of fraudulent schemes.
Despite the concluded peace agreement, Oleksandr Katsuba remains under investigation in several other criminal proceedings. The position of the prosecutor's office remains steadfast, and the question of whether he will be prosecuted for the full damage caused to the state remains open. Publications and materials on this topic continue to cause outrage in society, which expects real consequences for those guilty of large corruption schemes.
