Kropachev case: NABU completes investigation in absentia on two suspects

Kropachev case: NABU completed investigation

The anti-corruption law enforcement agencies completed an investigation in absentia of two defendants and opened the materials of the investigation to the defense, writes Word and Deed.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have completed an investigation in absentia on the suspicion of Igor Shmigul, former head of the tender committee of the state enterprise Mirnogradugol, and Valentin Gornostaev, director of Donenergoexport LLC, of ​​involvement in the coal business of businessman Vitaly Kropachev.

This was reported by the press service of SAP.

“On March 30, 2023, the SAPO prosecutor decided to complete the pre-trial investigation in the case against the director of Donenergoexport LLC and the former chairman of the tender committee of State Enterprise Mirnogradugol, who are reasonably suspected of causing more than UAH 51.17 million in losses to three state-owned enterprises. To date, NABU detectives have been instructed to open the case materials to the defense side for review.“, the prosecutor’s office informs.

Earlier, NABU summoned these persons for questioning.

Recall the investigation establishedthat during 2016-2018 a group of persons organized a scheme, as a result of which they actually established control over public procurement of three state enterprises “Selidovugol”, “Mirnogradugol” and “Mine Administration of South Donbass No. 1”. We are talking about the entire chain – from monitoring the procurement needs of state-owned enterprises, the formation of tender conditions, communication with potential suppliers to determining the expected cost of the purchase, the winner of the tenders and monitoring settlements with him.

In 69 purchases of these coal mining enterprises, investigated by NABU and SAP and in which facts of violation of the law were established, one company, Donenergoeksport LLC, received supply contracts. At the same time, it was about the supply of the most positions: fuels and lubricants, spare parts for mining equipment, hardware, cable products for mines. However, in fact, this company acted as an intermediary, reselling goods purchased from participants in the real sector at a premium. Those, in turn, through obstacles specially created by the participants in the scheme, had no real chance of being directed to cooperate with state-owned enterprises.

According to Slovo i Delo, the technical participants in the tenders won by Donenergoeksport LLC were Trialtrade and Universal Invest-Stroy. These companies are allegedly connected with businessman Kropachev. Detectives found that Donenergoexport and Trialtrade used the same IP address when filing tax returns. Moreover, part of the funds received from state-owned enterprises was transferred by Trialtrade to the account of WB Real Estate, the signatory of which is Kropachev’s daughter Yulia. In addition, the founder of “VB Real Estate” is the firm of the businessman “Ukrdoninvest”.

For almost three years, these three state-owned enterprises, following the instructions of the organizers of the scheme, purchased various equipment, spares, consumables and other goods at inflated prices, sometimes even unnecessarily for a total amount of almost UAH 174.5 million, illegally overpaying more than UAH 51.17 mln hryvnia

DOSSIER: Vitaly Kropachev: what is the coal “watcher” of the presidential “family” hiding? PART 2