On January 25, 2017, the Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) jointly with the prosecutors of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office gave a notice of suspicion to the Acting Chairman of the Board of the Public Joint-Stock Company United Mining and Chemical Company (PJSC UMCC) for allegedly committing crimes under Part 3 Article 27, Part 3 Article 28 («Criminal offense committed by a group of persons upon prior conspiracy») and under Part 2 Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine («Criminal offense committed by a group of persons and abuse of authority or office caused any grave consequences»). On the same day the suspect along with two other persons (a Head of Sales and Marketing of PJSC UMCC and a former deputy Director of the State Enterprise (SE) UMCC (later converted into PJSC UMCC) were detained in Kyiv.
The investigation is in process. As of now computer equipment, allegedly used for criminal purposes, was seized.
The NABU Detectives also established that in 2014 the detained (along with other persons, including foreign citizens) formed a group for receiving improper advantage in the interests of foreign companies that were related to UMCC officials .
The suspects were realizing titanium products used in aviation and chemical industries to the private intermediary companies, registered in Austria and Latvia and related to SE UMCC officials, at low prices. Then the abovementioned companies were reselling it to international companies at market prices.
The price difference was transferred to the accounts of the intermediaries’ companies. Then the funds were transferred to accounts of other companies controlled by SE UMCC officials in a form of payments for logistic services.
On January 25, 2017, two more SE UMCC officials were given notice of suspicion.
On January 27-28, 2017, the Solomyansky District Court of Kyiv chose a preventive measure for the Acting Chairman of the Board of UMCC in a form of 60 days’ temporary custody with 100 million UAH alternative bail. The court also chose the same preventive measure for other suspects in the UMCC case.
It should be reminded that the NABU started the investigation process in January 2016.