“Kyivzelenbud” case: new suspects

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have discovered new facts related to the embezzlement of funds of the municipal association "Kyivzelenbud". On Dec. 10, 2021, three persons, including the former acting Head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Kyiv City Council, were served suspicion notices, while seven previous suspicion notices were updated in the light of new evidence. Thus, the total number of persons allegedly involved in the commission of a corruption offense increased up to 10, and the total damage to “Kyivzelenbud” - up to UAH 115.19 million.

The suspects are*:

•  the acting Head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Kyiv City Council;
•  a former external adviser to the General Director of Kyivzelenbud;
•  the General Director of Kyivzelenbud (2016-2018);
•  the General Director of Kyivzelenbud (2018-2019);
•  the Deputy General Director for Commercial Affairs of Kyivzelenbud;
•  the head of one of Kyivzelenbud units;
•  an employee of one of Kyivzelenbud units;
•  a trustee of the former external adviser to the General Director of Kyivzelenbud;
•  the director of an LLC;
•  a private entrepreneur.

As established, in 2016-2018, Kyivzelenbud launched tenders for the purchase of special plant care equipment. The former external adviser to the then General Director of Kyivzelenbud, who the Detectives consider to be the organizer of the corruption scheme, by prior agreement with other Kyivzelenbud officials and a private entrepreneur, secured the victory of three pre-determined companies that eventually supplied the needed equipment at inflated prices.

NABU and SAPO found that part of the illegally obtained funds was transferred by the participants in the corruption scheme to the accounts of foreign companies, and from there - to an Italian company controlled by them.

Based on the obtained evidence and in order to ensure further compensation of damage to the Kyiv budget, NABU secured the seizure of the corporate rights of the Italian company and real estate facilities in Verona which could be constructed with the use of the embezzled funds.

In August 2020, the investigation gathered enough evidence to notify seven persons of suspicion of embezzling UAH 77.9 million.

Further work of the NABU Detectives and SAPO Prosecutors brought new evidence of corruption and expanded the range of persons likely to be involved.
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* positions at the time of the offense

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered non-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.