The investigation into the attack on the company has stalled.
The high-profile scandal that erupted in early July, involving the armed seizure of the Azov Oil Company in Mariupol by unknown individuals, has yet to receive a proper response or legal assessment from law enforcement. In nearly three months, law enforcement in the Donetsk region have opened criminal cases only under Article 341 (seizure of state or public buildings) and Article 342 (resistance to a government official) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. But even these cases remain largely uninvestigated. Furthermore, an internal investigation into why the special forces and police officers guarding the premises abandoned the company, allowing the thieves to make off with property worth several million dollars, has yet to be conducted, writes Apostrophe.
The Azov Oil Company (AOC) site is located in the Kalmius district (20 km from Mariupol), a few kilometers from the demarcation line. In 1999, the former oil depot became the basis for a Ukrainian-American investment project worth over $63 million, which included the purchase of a unique atmospheric distillation unit capable of producing approximately 150 tons of petroleum products per year.
Today, according to media reports, ANK is owned by Boris Pokrass, a Chicago-based businessman of Ukrainian descent, through the American offshore company Energy Management Corp. In our country, he is known for an unrealized gold mining project in the Zakarpattia region and the construction of a coal mine in the Lviv region.
As a result of the fighting in Donbas, the oil company experienced difficulties supplying crude oil from Russia and maintaining production capacity, which ultimately led to a complete shutdown. The company's loan from the international bank Ukrsotsbank (Unicredit Group) defaulted. The bankers filed a lawsuit, and, according to the court ruling, all production equipment was seized and transferred to the creditor.
Since the facility is located practically in the frontline zone, the bank ensured enhanced security by signing an agreement with the Mariupol Interdistrict Police Department of the Donetsk Region on June 1. Armed police officers secured the strategic facility.
An unprecedented takeover
On July 8, an armored Hummer SUV armed with a heavy machine gun smashed through the gates of the ANK. It was followed by two more minibuses and two cars, each containing 30 unidentified masked individuals armed with automatic rifles and underbarrel grenade launchers. The strangers identified themselves to police as a private security company and claimed to have a contract with the company's owner to protect the premises. According to eyewitnesses (police security officers), the operation was overseen by the company's former head of security, retired police lieutenant colonel Oleksandr Rekun. He is known to many local police officers, as he headed the Primorsky District Police Department in Mariupol until 2004. According to media reports, Rekun also has a good relationship with Vyacheslav Abroskin, head of the National Police Main Directorate in Donetsk Oblast. It was on Abroskin's recommendation that the former police officer even became the head of the Donetsk Organization of Ministry of Internal Affairs Veterans.
The seizure of the ANC was reported to the Mariupol duty station, and two rapid response teams were promptly dispatched to the site, as well as 18 armed police officers from the security battalion, which was put on alert.
The duty officer of the PO department also contacted the Kalmius District Department of the National Police for assistance, who dispatched six patrol cars and an investigative task force. After a call to the military prosecutor of the Mariupol garrison, a special forces unit of the Armed Forces arrived at the ANC in an armored personnel carrier. Such powerful "reinforcements" could have dislodged the armed attackers in minutes and sent them to the police station. However, for some reason, the situation unfolded differently.
The editorial board's sources learned that the situation with the seizure of the ANC building was urgently reported to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, and that the minister personally instructed Abroskin to "hold" and "clear" the premises of the uninvited guests. However, the local police chief decided to take a different approach: special forces units, rapid response teams, and police officers were recalled from the premises. In a private conversation, a recording of which was obtained by the editorial board, Abroskin said that "he has his own kingdom" and the minister "doesn't give him orders."
As a result, the invaders controlled the ANK territory for 10 days, while their specialists leisurely dismantled the oil cracking plant, carefully packed it into shipping containers, and transported it toward the ATO zone. The trucks transporting the equipment were equipped with fake license plates, and they passed through checkpoints where even passenger vehicles are inspected without even slowing down. As soon as the "invaders" left the territory, the State Security Service officers, who had previously abandoned the facility, valiantly began guarding it. During the "absence" of the officers, the soldiers removed equipment worth $4,5 million. And the whole thing looks like a well-planned operation with the participation of higher-level authorities.
Who needs a cracking unit?
According to specialists from the State Enterprise "UkrNDI MASMA" (a design institute), the oil refining unit stolen from the ANK is unique. It is capable of processing 150 tons of oil per year. Just one such unit could provide the entire ATO zone with oil supplies, especially since direct crude oil deliveries from Russia to this territory are already established. Oil refineries from Turkey, Georgia, and African countries are also interested in such equipment.
Before/after dismantling of the oil refining cracking unit
Recently, however, the installation has attracted interest from American businessman and de facto owner of ANK, Boris Pokrass. He repeatedly offered to buy the installation from the lender, claiming he had a buyer for it.
According to another version, the installation could have been transported to Russia via the port, since, according to experts, the equipment was packed into shipping containers for further transportation by sea.
One thing is clear: the installation was dismantled and removed professionally for further use in production.
Investigation without results...
At the request of the creditor, the Kalmius District Department of the National Police entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (URDR) data on the commission of a criminal offense under No. 12016050800001809 under Article 341 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (seizure of state or public buildings) and No. 42016051290000055 under Article 342 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (resistance to a government official), but for some reason the police did not mention the theft of expensive equipment.
While preparing this article, the editorial team sent inquiries to the head of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Donetsk Oblast, the prosecutor's office of Mariupol and Donetsk Oblast, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the head of the Donetsk Oblast Police Department, seeking the results of the investigation into this high-profile crime. The responses, all identical, stated that a pre-trial investigation is underway, but there are no results yet, and that investigators know nothing about the theft of the equipment.
"Currently, the pre-trial investigation agency has not received any information that would indicate additional qualifying elements of criminal offenses in the actions of unidentified individuals, namely, the theft of property from Azov Oil Company LLC, or information regarding the theft of specific oil refining equipment," the response from the Main Directorate of the National Police in Donetsk Oblast stated.
The editorial staff received no answers to questions about which "security" firm carried out the seizure, who dismantled the strategic equipment and where it was taken, why the security personnel and "reinforcements" abandoned the facility, who ordered the security units and special forces to leave, and whether former Donetsk police officers were involved in the theft. Law enforcement agencies categorically refuse to cooperate, citing articles of the Criminal Procedure Code prohibiting disclosure of pre-trial investigation reports as a shield.
The only thing we were able to find out is that the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office has requested the oil company's case for review and "the development of a plan for priority investigative actions." But there has been no real progress; not even an investigator has been appointed yet.
Last week, an international lender again filed a complaint with the Mariupol Prosecutor's Office alleging theft of collateral on an especially large scale. Law enforcement agencies are now obligated to add the case to the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (URDR) and finally open a criminal investigation.
Meanwhile, while law enforcement agencies are formally "inactive," the stolen unit could have been transported to occupied territory and begun refining Russian oil to supply militants with fuel, or it could be operating in Russia itself, where there are no problems with raw materials.
In September, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman unveiled an investment support office with financial support from the Western NIS Enterprise Fund, a private equity fund. According to the Prime Minister, the main goal is to create an entry point for attracting investment. The government expects foreign direct investment inflows to reach $4,5 billion next year. However, according to Roman Shpek, Chairman of the Board of the Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine, the government cannot expect economic growth or foreign investment if property rights are ignored in the country. Only genuine protection of property rights and the creation of tangible conditions for this can guarantee the attraction of foreign investment.
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