Special Communications Service of Ukraine suspected of misappropriation of 62 mln: Scheme revealed
Special Communications Service of Ukraine suspected of misappropriation of 62 mln (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Law enforcement officers exposed a criminal scheme involving the leadership of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (Derzhspeczviazok). Officials are suspected of embezzling state funds amounting to over 62 million hryvnias, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
The Bureau specified that six people are currently suspected in the case. These include:
- Head of State Special Communications and Information Protection Service of Ukraine and his deputy.
- CEO and employee of a state enterprise.
- Owner of a group of companies (scheme organizer) and one of his employees.
The Bureau did not disclose the names and surnames of these officials. However, according to RBC-Ukraine sources, it concerns the head of Derzhspeczviazok, Yuriy Shchyhol, and his deputy Viktor Zhora.
Indeed, on Monday, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dismissed them, appointing an interim head of the agency.
Head of the State Service for Special Communications Yuriy Shchyhol and his deputy Viktor Zhora were served with a notice of suspicion (photo: RBC-Ukraine collage)
The scheme involved by the defendants
According to the investigation, during 2020-2022, the owner of a group of companies, in collusion with the leadership of Derzhspeczviazok, developed a scheme to embezzle budget funds allocated for the purchase of equipment and software.
To implement this, the defendants involved two controlled companies, and they classified the procurement "to avoid open bidding" and ensure their victory, as reported by NABU.
The state enterprise subordinated to Derzhspeczviazok concluded contracts for the supply of the corresponding software and services with these companies, transferring 285 million hryvnias in 2021-2022.
"However, the actual value of the software purchased from a foreign manufacturer was 223 million hryvnias, and the participants in the crime embezzled more than 62 million hryvnias," NABU noted.
These funds were "withdrawn" to the accounts of controlled companies abroad to "launder" and distribute among members of the organized group.
What threatens the defendants
Today, on November 20, the defendants were notified of suspicion of committing an offense under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The issue of choosing preventive measures for the suspects is currently being resolved. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, according to NABU.
