The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, with the assistance of the Minister of Energy of Ukraine, exposed a large-scale corruption scheme organized by his deputy. As a result of comprehensive measures, the deputy head of the Ministry of Energy was detained in Kyiv for a bribe of $0.5 million, the SBU press service reports.
“For this amount, the official, using his powers, promised the heads of state-owned enterprises of the Lviv-Volyn coal basin to unhindered transfer of mining equipment from the mines of the front-line region of Donetsk region. We are talking about the unique and scarce equipment of one of the state-owned coal companies, which is located within the hottest direction of the Eastern Front – Pokrovsky,” the message in the Telegram channel states.
Representatives of the industry applied to the Deputy Minister of Energy for permission to evacuate equipment from the combat zone and use it in the mines of the western region in the spring of 2024. However, the official began to demand money for the removal of the equipment.
“He involved three accomplices in the illegal activity: a private energy trader, the head of an energy company from the Mykolaiv region, and the head of a mining enterprise from Donetsk region. It was from this mining plant that the evacuation of the equipment was to begin after the organizer of the equipment received part of the bribe,” the message states.
Transfer of illegal benefits took place through involved accomplices. The SBU documented each of the tranches in stages. And as a result, law enforcement officers detained an official of the Ministry of Energy and three of his accomplices red-handed after receiving part of the bribe.
Currently, all four detainees have been notified of suspicion under Part 4 of Art. 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an illegal benefit by an official).
The issue of selecting a preventive measure for them is being resolved.
An investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice. Perpetrators face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
