Sources in the law enforcement agencies reported that the SBI initiated a criminal case against the founder of the Ukrainian studio GSC Game World, known for the STALKER series of games, Serhiy Hryhorovych.
According to our data, the case is being processed under number 62022000000001034 dated 14.12.2022 on the grounds of a criminal offense provided for in Part 4 of Art. 111-1 (transfer of material resources to illegal armed or paramilitary formations of the aggressor state), Part 2 of Art. 209 (legalization of property obtained by criminal means), as well as under Part 2 of Art. 332-2 (illegal crossing of the state border of Ukraine).
Even the open Ukrainian position on the war did not save Hryhorovych from the attention of the security forces. The sources reported that Hryhorovych is involved in criminal activities related to the receipt of illegal income and tax evasion. Also, he is probably involved in laundering the proceeds of crime.
Hryhorovych's games (for example, STALKER), despite the legal regime of martial law in Ukraine, are sold in the aggressor state. But contrary to the public statements of Hryhorovych and his representatives on social networks about the cessation of sales of computer games, his companies circumvent sanctions against residents of the Russian Federation.
Security forces established that for this purpose, Hryhorovych and his assistants used cryptobridges and Russian payment systems banned in Ukraine to deposit and withdraw funds through anonymous crypto and web wallets, as well as online transfer systems, bank accounts of controlled legal entities registered under border and are under the sanctions of the National Security Council of Ukraine.
The total income from the sale of computer games in the Russian Federation, received by companies and services controlled by Hryhorovych and individuals connected with him, amounts to more than 5 million US dollars per year. At the same time, taxes on income received on the territory of the Russian Federation are paid to the budget of the aggressor state.
According to the available information, during the years 2019-2022, Hryhorovych officially transferred more than 40 million hryvnias through Ukrainian banking institutions (according to the exchange rate at the end of 2021 – 1.4 million US dollars).
It was also established that on March 28, 2022, at 4:14 p.m., Hryhorovych illegally crossed the border of Ukraine, using the "Path" system for volunteers, through the Ustylug checkpoint on the border with Poland.
Then, the illegally obtained funds through the bank accounts of controlled fictitious legal entities were transferred to offshore bank accounts opened in non-resident financial institutions.
Serhii Hryhorovych would very much like to close the criminal case opened against him by the SBI.
For this, we even had to spend money on cars for the Armed Forces. But the Ukrainian security forces did not buy such a charitable gesture.
Sources in the law enforcement agencies reported that Hryhorovych's account is currently being heavily shaken. The investigation established that he has the following bank accounts in Ukraine:
- UA803510050000026202807528407 in JSC "UKRSIBBANK"
- 26206805716358 in JSC "UKRSIBBANK"
- 26006054032500 in JSC "UKRSIBBANK"
- 26209001079165 in JSC "KB "GLOBUS"
- 2620101 0811638 in Public Joint-Stock Bank "Southern"
- 26200054032500 in JSC "UKRSIBBANK"
Our sources also noted that they plan to take almost all assets from Hryhorovych, namely: movable and immovable property, corporate rights, shares in the authorized capital of legal entities, bank accounts, etc., which belong to Hryhorovych or whose ultimate beneficial owner is Hryhorovych.
