Two Top Managers of Odesa Port Plant Detained for Embezzlement

The Chair of the Supervisory Board of Odesa Port Plant (OPZ) Sergiy Pereloma and Deputy CEO Mykola Shchurikov have been detained for embezzlement of company money, Chief of the Special Anti-corruption Prosecution Office (SAP) Nazar Kholodnytskyi reported at a briefing in Kyiv. Official charges will come soon.

"We collected enough evidence to accuse them of embezzlement of a large amount of money," he stressed.

The investigation established that in May 2015, the First Deputy CEO of Naftogaz Sergiy Pereloma, who is also the Chair of the Supervisory Board of OPZ had intentionally embezzled the money of OPZ through transferring funds to PJSC Ukrnafta, which is jointly controlled by Naftogaz and private entities.

"Pereloma entered into a conspiracy with Deputy CEO of OPZ Mykola Shchurikov. From May to December 2015, they abused their powers to buy gas for a total of ₴205 million ($8.2 million) at an overvalued price," Kholodnytskyi claimed.

"We are conducting searches. The two persons will be detained in due course, – Kholodnytskyi claimed, – irrespective of any oligarchs behind these persons, anti-corruption authorities go on accomplishing their objectives."

The Chief of the National Anti-corruption Bureau Artem Sytnyk explained that this is only one of several schemes under investigation by law enforcement.

Source: Olena Roshchenko, Ukrayinska Pravda