Political expert and blogger Mykhailo Schneider revealed a possible corruption scheme in Ukrnafta related to the non-tender purchase of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in September-December 2023. According to the investigation conducted by Schneider, "Ukrnafta" bought this fuel additive for more than a billion hryvnias at inflated prices from the Swiss company AGTG SA, which is owned by Canadian citizen Yevgeny Svirsky.
This scheme suggests a possible conflict of interests, since the head of Ukrnafta, Serhiy Koretsky, has a long-term business relationship with Yevhen Svirsky, which began in the coffee business. Although Svirskyi's wife is formally Svirskyi's partner, Koretskyi himself admitted that he started his business together with Svirskyi. It is also known that in 2018, AGTG SA sold another chemical additive to Ukrgazvydobuvania - methanol, at 45% higher than the market price.
The study also indicates the possibility of receiving a "kickback" of approximately 30% of the deal amount, which is very disturbing information. In addition, Schneider points to other connections of Svirsky with individuals who have great influence in the fuel industry, which may contribute to illegal deals and inflated prices .
According to Schneider, this not only looks like a conflict of interest, but is also a signal for a thorough investigation by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).
