Embezzlement of UAH 18 million from Antonov SE: two suspects

On March 10, 2023, NABU and SAPO notified the former official of Antonov SE (a subsidiary of Ukroboronprom State Concern) and the director of a lawyer's association of suspicion of embezzling more than UAH 18 million from the enterprise and issuing false official documents.

The suspects are:

• the former legal affairs director of Antonov SE — Part 5 Art. 191, Part 1 Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• the director of a lawyer's association — Part 5 Art. 27, Part 5 Art. 191, Part 1 Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Since the whereabouts of both suspects are unknown, they were notified of suspicion in absentia.

As established, in July 2018, under the legal services agreement, the lawyer's association undertook to help Antonov SE collect debts from the bankrupt Brokbusinessbank JSC under a deposit agreement, worth over UAH 347 million. Part of this debt was secured by a mortgage (a non-residential building in Kyiv, worth more than UAH 120 million).

In December 2018, Antonov took possession of the building as a partial debt recovery.

Under the agreement and a supplement to it, the lawyer's fee for the rendered legal services was supposed to be 5% of the value of the transferred property. Instead, the then legal affairs director of the enterprise, in collusion with the director of the lawyer's association, sanctioned the payment of almost 10% of the estimated value of the building (about UAH 7 million more).

Subsequently, in May 2021, in accordance with the laws of Ukraine and the Government's order, the building was transferred under the ownership of another state body. At that time, it already cost more than UAH 212 million, so Antonov's debt obligations were written off by exactly this sum. After that, the legal affairs director agreed to pay the lawyer's association an extra UAH 11 million as remuneration for the transfer of the building. However, the lawyer's association had nothing to do with the transfer and the write-off of debt obligations of Antonov to the state.

As a result, the enterprise lost more than UAH 18 million.

Thanks to the actions of NABU detectives, in September 2022, the HACC seized the funds paid by Antonov to the lawyer's association. The decision was upheld by the Appeals Chamber.

NABU and SAPO began investigating the specified facts in the spring of 2022, following a report from Antonov. The current management of the enterprise cooperates with the investigation and helps establish all the circumstances behind the crime.