NABU suspects Berdiansk sea port management of corruption

"On February 19, 2020, detectives of the National Bureau, under procedural control of the SAPO [Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office], served the head of the administration of the Berdiansk sea port (part of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority) with a notice of suspicion in abuse of office (Part 2 of Article 364, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), which resulted in UAH 2.49 million worth of damage done to the state enterprise. The official was arrested. Three other persons involved in the crime were also detained. The issue of handing over suspicion notices to them is being resolved," the report reads.

According to the NABU, the issue concerns a deputy head of the Berdiansk branch of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, an engineer of the Berdiansk branch of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, and the former head of a commercial company.

Investigators established that between 2018 and early 2019, these persons organized a scheme when the state-owned enterprise transferred funds to the commercial company for equipment not actually supplied. As a result, UAH 2.49 million worth of losses were inflicted on state interests, which was confirmed by the conclusion of forensic tests.

The NABU and the SAPO have investigated these facts since February 2019.

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