Polygraph Combine case: Ukraine to recover over EUR 3.3 million stolen through corruption

A total of EUR 3.377 million (approximately UAH 163 million at the NBU exchange rate) will be transferred to the state budget from a French company implicated in the NABU and SAPO case concerning abuses at the state enterprise Polygraph Combine “Ukraina.” This will be the first-ever compensation paid by a foreign entity in the history of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies.

The agreement with the company was concluded by the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office on July 8 and approved by a Paris court on September 3.

The NABU and SAPO investigation established that the Polygraph Combine purchased materials from the French company at inflated prices through an Estonian intermediary, while the former director of the state enterprise received an undue benefit in the form of copyrights to designs of security elements for documents.

In total, 8 individuals have been charged in the case, including the former head of the enterprise.

This result was made possible through a joint investigative team of NABU, SAPO, French, and Estonian law enforcement under the auspices of Eurojust. Cooperation with foreign colleagues was facilitated via the OECD GLEN platform – the Global Law Enforcement Network, which helped establish strong and lasting partnerships with many countries. The Stolen Asset Recovery (STAR) Initiative also played a crucial role in the process.

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office coordinated Ukraine’s effective representation before the French court.

We thank our international partners, SAPO, and the International Legal Department of NABU for their professional cooperation.