Three suspected in UAH 17 million fertilizer corruption scheme

On May 9, 2023, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Kirovohrad region, notified three persons of suspicion of embezzling UAH 16.7 million from a state enterprise under the control of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine.

The suspects are:

• the acting director of the state enterprise - Article 191, Part 5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• the head of the central department of the same enterprise - Article 27, Part 5 Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
• the head of a private company - Article 27, Part 5 Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Two of the suspects, the head of the private company and the head of the central department, were detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. The acting director of the state enterprise was notified of suspicion in absentia.

According to the investigation, in the fall of 2021, the state enterprise concluded contracts with related private companies for the supply of organic fertilizers and their further application in the fields. As established, the fertilizers were purchased only "on paper" and were not intended for delivery to the state enterprise. After forging documents to show that the fields had been treated with fertilizers, the state enterprise paid UAH 16.7 million for delivered goods and services. The perpetrators of the scheme then cashed the money and divided it among themselves.

* positions at the time of the crime