The detention in Dubai of Volodymyr Kolot, the son-in-law and business partner of former State Property Fund advisor Andriy Hmyrin, may become a key moment in the case of large-scale withdrawal of funds from state-owned enterprises.
This is a scheme that is being investigated by the NABU and which, according to the investigation and journalistic materials, could have caused the state losses of over 700 million hryvnias. At the center are operations surrounding the Odessa Port Plant and the United Mining and Chemical Company.
According to the investigation, the products of these enterprises were sold at low prices to controlled companies. Then they were sold at market value, and the difference was deposited abroad. One of the key structures in this scheme is called "Agro Gas Trading", co-founded by Kolot.
His detention in the UAE has brought the case back into the public spotlight. MP Oleksiy Honcharenko confirmed that Kolot is a relative and partner of Hmyrin, a figure who has been repeatedly named in the media as one of the informal curators of state assets in previous years.
Despite his rather modest official biography, Hmyrin's real influence, according to investigators, was much broader. He is credited with the role of "shadow coordinator" of processes at the State Property Fund, in particular, the placement of loyal managers at enterprises that could be involved in the schemes.
The scale of the possible abuse is also evidenced by the way the funds were used. Journalists found that the Gmyrin family owns luxury real estate abroad - in particular, apartments in Dubai worth about $5.5 million, as well as assets in France worth more than €5 million.
At the same time, the official income of the entire family over the years amounted to only about 8.2 million hryvnias, which contrasts sharply with the value of the purchased property.
The investigation also found that the assets were organized through relatives and a network of foreign companies. Some of the assets have already been seized in Europe, including real estate, cars and even a yacht in Italy.
The circumstances of the suspects' departure from Ukraine attracted special attention from law enforcement. According to NABU, Andriy Hmyrin left the country in the first days of the full-scale invasion, and later information about his alleged return appeared in state databases, which allowed him to be formally considered to be in Ukraine.
At the same time, according to the investigation, he actually continued to travel between the UAE, European countries, and other states. A similar situation existed with Volodymyr Kolot, who, according to official data, did not leave Ukraine, but at the same time registered a business abroad.
In April 2023, key figures in the case, including Hmyrin, were put on the international wanted list.
We previously wrote that while NABU was investigating the embezzlement of state property, Hmyrin's family bought up real estate in the UAE for $14 million . According to journalists, relatives of the person involved in the case invested millions in Dubai apartments precisely during the period when, according to the investigation, the scheme was operating at state-owned enterprises. Against this background, the detention of Volodymyr Kolot may be a key step towards establishing the full chain of funds and the origin of these assets.
