Ukraine for the first time returned stolen funds from abroad: 3.3 million euros in the Polygraph Combine case

For the first time in Ukraine's history, funds stolen as a result of a corruption scheme will be returned from abroad. This concerns 3.377 million euros (approximately 163 million UAH), which will be transferred to the state budget from a French company, a defendant in the NABU and SAPO case regarding fraud at the State Enterprise "Polygraph Combine "Ukraina"". This was reported by UNN with reference to NABU.

Details

As reported by anti-corruption bodies, the agreement with the company was concluded by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office of France on July 8, and on September 3, it was approved by a court in Paris. This is the first case when a foreign entity compensates Ukraine for damages caused by corruption.

The NABU and SAPO investigation established that the state enterprise purchased materials from the French company at inflated prices through an Estonian shell company. As a result, the former director of the Polygraph Combine received undue benefit in the form of copyrights to protective elements of documents. In total, eight people were notified of suspicion in the case, including the former head of the state enterprise.

This achievement was made possible thanks to international cooperation: NABU, SAPO, French and Estonian law enforcement officers worked in a joint investigative group under the auspices of Eurojust. The STAR (Stolen Asset Recovery) initiative and the OECD GLEN platform, which helped establish stable contacts with foreign partners, also played an important role.

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office ensured the coordination of Ukraine's representation in the French court.

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