Fraud with passports worth half a billion: two Estonian citizens were served with a notice of suspicion
Kyiv • UNN
The SAPO and the NABU served two people with a notice of suspicion in the embezzlement of funds from the state-owned Polygraph Plant Ukraine. The scheme involved the purchase of materials through an Estonian shell company, which led to a 4-6-fold increase in prices.
Two accomplices were served a notice of suspicion of misappropriation of funds of the state-owned enterprise Printing Plant Ukraine in the amount of more than UAH 450 million. UNN reports this with reference to the SAPO.
It is reported that the SAPO and the NABU, as part of a joint investigation team of Ukraine, Estonia and the French Republic, are investigating the misappropriation and legalization of funds of the Polygraph Plant.
"Today, two people who assisted the former head of the Polygraph Plant in implementing and implementing a scheme to purchase consumables through a company he controlled registered in the Republic of Estonia have been served with a notice of suspicion," the statement said.
Instead of purchasing the materials used to produce passports directly from manufacturers, they were reportedly supplied through this shell company, which led to a 4-6-fold increase in prices. This allowed the Estonian company to accumulate an amount equivalent to approximately UAH 0.5 billion on its accounts. These funds were then transferred to the accounts of numerous companies registered in different countries. This ensured that their illegal origin was disguised.
The SAPO remindedthat in July 2023, the former head of the Polygraph Plant, Maksym Stepanov, his associate, and the head of the department of this state-owned enterprise were served with a notice of suspicion.
"Also, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine served a notice of suspicion to two Estonian citizens who provided operational activities of the shell company. In Estonia, the same persons, along with two other citizens of this country, are being prosecuted for money laundering in the Republic of Estonia," the SAPO informs.
French law enforcement officers assess the legality of other persons in France.
"Thanks to additional materials received from the French law enforcement officers, we managed to establish the involvement of two more people in the scheme. As of today, 9 people are being prosecuted thanks to the cooperation of law enforcement agencies within the joint investigation team. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and measures are being taken to identify other accomplices," the statement said.
