The sanctioned oligarch Dmitry Firtash and the heads of companies controlled by him organized a large-scale scheme to steal blue fuel from the gas transportation system of Ukraine. Informs Freedom Matrix.
According to the forensic economic examination, during 2021 alone, the illegal activities of the defendants caused damage to the state by more than UAH 4.2 billion.. At the same time, the total amount of damage, according to preliminary estimates, during 2016-2022 may amount to more than UAH 18 billion. According to the materials of the investigation, officials of Firtash's regional gas companies plundered more than 70% of the funds that were supposed to be for the purchase of blue fuel. In fact, we are talking about embezzling money from ordinary Ukrainians who paid utility bills.
The scheme was that the regional gas companies controlled by Firtash bought fuel from a company controlled by him. But in reality they received less than 30% of the paid amount of gas.
The deficit formed due to this machination was covered by the blue fuel, which was state-owned - the regional gas companies simply took away the "under-received" fuel from the gas transportation system of Ukraine.
At the same time, the state was almost not paid for this, referring to the lack of funds.. Firtash regional gas companies reportedly paid the state operator of the Ukrainian GTS an average of 30% of the total cost of the extracted gas.
In the future, the defendants diverted money into the shadows through a network of commercial structures controlled by the oligarch.. From year to year they increased the damage to the state.
As part of the criminal proceedings, law enforcement officers conducted searches at the offices and residences of the organizers of the criminal scheme.
Based on the evidence collected by Firtash, two heads of RGC LLC, the head of YE ENERGIA LLC and five heads of regional gas companies were informed of suspicion under part 3 of article 27, part 5 of article 191 and part 3 of article 27, part 3 Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation, embezzlement or possession of property through abuse of official position, committed on an especially large scale by an organized group, legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means).
Of these, five defendants were suspected in absentia, as they are hiding from justice abroad.. The issue of putting them on the international wanted list is being resolved.
Comprehensive measures to expose the crime were carried out by employees of the SBU together with the Bureau of Economic Security under the procedural leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
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