The SAPO has referred to court a case of embezzlement of over 11 million hryvnias during the purchase of coal for the needs of Ukrzaliznytsia. Among the defendants are a former official of the railway company, as well as the manager and owner of a private company that won the tenders.
According to the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the transaction was implemented back in 2018. According to the investigation, a group of individuals, including the deputy director of the branch of the Production Support Center of JSC "Ukrzaliznytsia" (separate proceedings), organized a criminal scheme during six tenders for the supply of hard coal.
The mechanism of theft was classic: the terms of the tenders were formed for a specific company that submitted the highest price. The competitors actually had no chance of winning due to discriminatory requirements. As a result, one of the commercial companies won, which could not explain the economic justification of its prices.
After concluding contracts with the winner, Ukrzaliznytsia overpaid for the supplies by more than 11.8 million hryvnias of budget funds. As the examinations showed, the cost was deliberately overstated, and this could not have been a coincidence.
The accused are charged with part 5 of article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - embezzlement of property on an especially large scale, committed by a group of persons in a prior conspiracy. The sanction of the article provides for up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The role of civil society in this case deserves special attention. It was a public organization that noticed anomalous prices in the Prozorro system and filed a corresponding appeal with law enforcement agencies. This launched an investigation that exposed millions of rubles in abuse.
"This case is an example of how the openness of government data and citizen activism can reveal corruption crimes," the SAPO notes.
