Over 5 million hryvnias earmarked for development of agro-industrial complex were embezzled: former minister and his accomplices have been notified of charges against them, - SSU. PHOTOS
The Security Service and the National Police have dismantled a large-scale scheme in the Cherkasy region involving the misappropriation of public funds allocated by the state for the development of the agro-industrial sector in central Ukraine.
This was reported by the Security Service of Ukraine, as relayed by Censor.NET.
Former minister implicated
It has been established that a former Minister for Environmental Protection from the Yanukovych era was involved in organising the scheme.
He is currently one of the owners of a local agricultural company which received 5.6 million hryvnias in grant funding from the state budget to set up new production lines for compound feed. With this money, the businessman and his partners were supposed to purchase the necessary technological equipment and create new jobs.
However, instead of modernising the production facilities, the company’s owner and his accomplices embezzled the grant money, divided it amongst themselves, and submitted knowingly false reports to the state authorities.
Documents were forged
It is noted that in the forged documents, the fraudsters claimed to have ‘purchased’ agricultural equipment and allegedly ‘expanded the workforce’ of the agricultural company.
A forensic economic examination initiated by law enforcement agencies confirmed the illegal activities of those involved.
During searches of their workplaces and homes, computer equipment and draft documentation containing evidence of the scheme were seized.
Who are we talking about?
Although the SSU has not named the former minister, according to a source at Ukrayinska Pravda, the individual in question is Viktor Boiko, Ukraine’s former Minister of Environmental Protection during the Yanukovych era (2010), a Member of Parliament of the fourth convocation, and chairman of the supervisory board of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine.
Charges brought
The former minister, his partner in the agricultural company and their accountant have now been notified of the charges against them in relation to offences committed under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Parts 2, 3 and 5 of Article 27, Part 5 of Article 191 (complicity, organisation and aiding and abetting in the misappropriation, embezzlement or unlawful acquisition of property through abuse of official position, committed on a particularly large scale or by an organised group);
- Article 28(2) and Article 366(1) (official forgery committed by a group of persons acting in collusion);
- Part 2 of Article 209 (legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means, committed by a group of persons acting in collusion).
The SSU added that the suspects face up to 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.
