The criminal case against Lukoil-Ukraine, which finances terrorists in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and carries out criminal schemes that cause billions in losses to Ukraine, may be closed.
Lukoil's Ukrainian subsidiary, accused of financing terrorist groups in Donbas and organizing fuel smuggling schemes, is determined to evade legal punishment and is building a defense.
Thus, the law firm Moris Group is already in negotiations with one of the first deputy heads of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to resolve the issue of closing the criminal case against Lukoil-Ukraine. It has also signed a contract for legal support in the defense of Ilham Mamedov, one of the main defendants and the only witness located in Ukraine. Even though the charges against the oil trader are quite serious,
As a reminder, last week, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched a criminal investigation into the illegal import and sale of petroleum products by the SEPEK group of companies, controlled by fugitive oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko. As a result, Ukraine suffered billions of hryvnias in losses.
Specifically, Lukoil OJSC, through its subsidiaries, collaborated with Kurchenko's business entities to smuggle petroleum products into Ukraine. These involved the use of "interrupted transit" and "fictitious export" schemes. Simply put, the goods were imported into Ukrainian customs territory, ostensibly for transportation or export through Ukraine to another country. However, the gasoline and diesel fuel were never subsequently exported. During transportation, the fuel was unloaded in Ukraine, bypassing customs controls and without paying the required fees.
Moreover, 80% of the total volume of fuel illegally imported into Ukraine by the company SEPEK was provided through schemes with Lukoil OJSC and its subsidiaries.
In 2013-2014 alone, they illegally imported more than 2 million tons of petroleum products worth over $2 billion into Ukraine.
Fuel was imported through sea terminals in Feodosia, Kherson, Izmail, Mykolaiv, and Odesa, as well as through checkpoints on Ukraine's western border and across the border with Belarus. A chain of enterprises controlled by SEPEK and Lukoil, both registered in Ukraine and abroad (Lukoil, Lukoil-Ukraine, the Odessa Oil Refinery, First Fuel Company, and others), was used.
The organizers of the scam were Valery Subbotin (Vice President of Supplies and Sales at Lukoil in Russia), Ilkham Mamedov (current head of the Lukoil-Ukraine Foreign Investment Company), and Demitros Anifantakis (Head of Development at Lukoil in Russia). Mamedov was responsible for the operation in Ukraine.
In turn, "illegally obtained income, under the cover of fictitious contracts, was transferred to the accounts of controlled enterprises. These criminally obtained funds were subsequently used to finance the terrorist activities of the so-called 'DPR' and 'LPR'," the SBU press service reported on Friday, January 16.
The same message discussed the opening of criminal proceedings under Articles 209 and 258-5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – “money laundering” and “financing of terrorism” – against the company Lukoil-Ukraine.
Considering the scale of the financial losses inflicted on Ukraine; the current government's attitude toward the fugitive oligarchs of the so-called "Family"; and, most importantly, the accused company's involvement in financing terrorists and aiding an aggressor who is exterminating the Ukrainian people and destroying the Ukrainian economy, the company and its management face serious liability for such "sins." Furthermore, the case has received widespread publicity and is being closely followed by both Ukrainian and European publics.
It's worth noting that Ukraine's Lukoil failed in its first attempt to evade punishment. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) prevented Lukoil from transferring its assets to the Viennese company (Lukoil-Ukraine now owns 239 gas stations and fueling complexes, as well as five oil depots in Ukraine) and quietly moving abroad.
Therefore, the company has now taken a different approach to resolving the issue: building a robust legal defense while simultaneously attempting to "reach an agreement" with the SBU. Sadly, such "settlement agreements" with substantial financial incentives remain the most popular and reliable way for criminals to get away with their crimes in Ukraine. And, according to NGOs, it's the law enforcement agencies and the courts that have most often clashed in such deals.
However, the events and changes that have occurred in Ukraine over the past year demonstrate that law enforcement agencies, courts, and various government bodies are also capable of changing their principles and methods of operation.
Therefore, I would like to believe that in this case, too, the SBU leadership will not enter into negotiations or bargaining with individuals and companies financing the war in Ukraine, and will do everything possible to ensure that the swindlers and accomplices of the aggressor are brought to justice. In this light, it is especially important not only to act but also to act—that is, to prevent key figures, such as Lukoil-Ukraine CEO Mamedov, from getting away with it by fleeing abroad to continue their criminal schemes. And also to prevent corrupt officials from assisting a company that sponsors murderers and terrorists.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, Facebook , Twitter , VK - Only new faces from the SKLEP section!