State Special Communications Service officials were investigated over alleged roles in a plot to embezzle 62 million UAH

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine have served suspicion notices to the head of the State Special Communications Service, his deputy and others of misappropriation of more than UAH 62 million, the SAPO said on Monday, UNN reports.

Before that, it became known that the Cabinet of Ministers dismissed the head of the State Special Service Yury Shchygol and his deputy Viktor Zhora.

Details

The SAP indicated that "the head of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (State Special Communications), his deputy and other officials were notified of the suspicion of embezzlement of state funds in the amount of over UAH 62 million."

A total of 6 people are suspected of committing crimes.

The actions of persons are qualified according to the characteristics of the crime provided for in Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The essence of the matter

As part of the pre-trial investigation, it was established that "officials of the State Special Communications Service, abusing their official position and acting as part of an organized group, seized a particularly large amount of budget funds for a total amount of over UAH 62 million," the SAP reported.

In 2021, as indicated, the purchase of computerized means intended for the creation of a system of protected data registers took place. "The winner of the procurement was determined to be a company under the control of the organizer of a criminal organization, which supplied the software to the state-owned enterprise "Ukrainian Special Systems", which belongs to the sphere of State Special Communications, at an inflated cost," the anti-corruption prosecutor's office said.

According to the terms of the contracts for the supply of the relevant software and services, the state company transferred more than UAH 285 million in 2021-2022. However, the real cost of the software that the company purchased from a foreign manufacturer amounted to UAH 223 million, SAP noted.

"The difference of these funds, more than UAH 62 million, was transferred by the participants of the criminal scheme to the accounts of controlled companies abroad for the purpose of legalization and distribution among the members of the organized group," the SAP reported.

Investigations are ongoing. Other persons who may be involved in the commission of this crime are being identified.