In 2023, the number of criminal proceedings against Ukrainian businesses increased to record levels. According to the data of the court register, more than 5,000 companies have become involved in criminal cases, which indicates serious problems for enterprises in Ukraine.
The number of cases increased by 2.6 times
Last year, 43,138 criminal cases were registered against businesses, the highest number since 2012. In 2023, 5,015 Ukrainian private companies appeared in the court register, including 6 in cases of legalization (laundering) of proceeds obtained through crime, and 4 in cases of collaborative activity.
In 2024, 2,839 companies have already become involved in criminal proceedings. Among them, one company was mentioned in the case of treason, three - for collaborationism, and another 10 - for money laundering. At the same time, almost 80% of criminal cases do not have verdicts, or cases do not reach court.
Companies often receive paper letters from prosecutors to close cases, but these documents are difficult to use because their legitimacy is difficult to verify.
Opendatabot believes that one of the possible solutions to this situation could be the certification of documents with an electronic signature. However, the General Prosecutor's Office rejected this proposal, not supporting the idea of an electronic signature for answers in criminal proceedings.
"A business that has entered the court register as a figure in a criminal case faces serious problems in financial monitoring and compliance. Even after the case is closed, references to the criminal case remain forever. This makes it difficult to protect the business reputation of companies," comments Oleksiy Ivankin, founder of Opendatabot.
Implementation of mechanisms that allow public refutation of information from the registry can significantly improve the situation for Ukrainian businesses, providing an opportunity to prove their innocence and restore their reputation.
