The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SACPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NACB) in absentia reported suspicion to the former Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov of the possession and legalization of UAH 450 million.
The NACB and the SACPO announced this, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office in a joint investigation team with the Prosecutor General's Office and the Central Criminal Police of Estonia, as well as the National Financial Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Judicial Investigation Service of France, exposed a scheme to seize and legalize UAH 450 million.
According to investigators, the former director of the State Enterprise Polygraphic Combine Ukraine in 2013-2016 organized a scheme to seize UAH 450 million of the enterprise.
In those years, the plant was headed by Maksym Stepanov.
In 2013, he acquired the Estonian company Inte Graph International FZE for shell persons.
The owners of the company are Ihor Illienko and Oleksandr Illienko (father and son), Ihor is Stepanov's longtime business partner.
It was this Estonian company that was the supplier for the plant of forms of documents (passports of citizens of Ukraine, ID-cards, driver's license, etc.).
At the same time, it was an intermediary, since other firms were the manufacturer.
The Estonian enterprise sold forms to the Polygraphic Combine at the cost inflated 4-6 times.
In 2013-2016, the scheme caused about UAH 450 million in losses.
Stepanov is also charged with legalizing funds.
According to the investigation, Stepanov disguised as selling 45% of his shares in an offshore enterprise (in fact it did not work), where the Estonian company withdrew funds, to another controlled company for USD 1.35 million.
Then he declared them, by which he actually got the opportunity to use them.
Some of the funds in the amount of USD 150,000 were transferred directly to the accounts of Stepanov's relatives.
In addition, Stepanov patented intellectual property rights for implanted protective elements used in Ukrainian passports.
Thus, each citizen, receiving documents, not only overpaid the cost due to overcharges in procurements, but also paid the official for his "intellectual contribution."
The scheme with intellectual property was covered in 2022 at the initiative of the NACB - the Cabinet of Ministers changed the technical requirements and image of the protective elements of Ukrainian documents.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in 2021, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed the Minister of Health Stepanov.
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