Sergey Kurchenko
Kurchenko's team is suspected of stealing half a billion in gasoline from Naftogaz.
Kyiv's Pechersky District Court has seized 80% of Brokbusinessbank's shares as part of an investigation into the fraudulent activities of businessman Sergei Kurchenko.
This became known from nine decisions of the Pechersk Court of Kyiv dated January 4, posted in the Unified Register of Court Decisions.
According to court documents, the motion to seize the property was filed with the court by the Prosecutor General's Office.
The representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office requested the seizure of shares belonging to the companies Ankona-Torg (9,9836% or 22164000 shares, par value of 252 million hryvnias), Khigan (9,9836% or 22164000 shares, par value of 252 million hryvnias), Aynam (9,9836% or 221,64 million shares, par value of 252 million hryvnias), Alkonost (9,9836% or 221,64 million shares, par value of 252 million hryvnias), Aminamy (9,9836% or 221,64 million shares, par value of 252 million hryvnias), Ultrastarinvest (9,9836% or 221,64 million shares, nominal value - 252 million hryvnias), Mui Ne (9,9836% or 221,64 million shares, nominal value - 252 million hryvnias), Amadina (9,9836% or 221,64 million shares, nominal value - 252 million hryvnias), East European Fuel and Energy Company (351,8 thousand shares or 0,1585%, nominal value - 4 million hryvnias).
The investigator based his petition on the fact that the Prosecutor General's Office is conducting a pre-trial investigation into businessman Sergei Kurchenko's suspicion of embezzlement of property on an especially large scale (Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
He is accused of seizing Naftogaz Ukrainy's assets between 2009 and 2013 in collusion with unidentified individuals. Allegedly, by abusing their official position and falsifying documents, the criminal group carried out a series of liquefied gas transactions, resulting in damages to the state exceeding 1 billion hryvnias.
The plot of the crime is already known and has been reported in the media. The fraudsters secured inflated quantities of liquefied natural gas from the state-owned enterprises Ukrnafta and Ukrgazvydobuvannya (part of the Ministry of Energy) for sale at special auctions on the Ukrainian Agrarian Exchange and the First Independent Exchange Commodity Exchange. The gas was allegedly sold at discounted prices for household needs.
In fact, Kurchenko, using the companies he controlled, UkrHarkivGazPostachannya-2009, LuhanskPropangaz, Kharkiv-SPBT, GazUkraine-2009, GazUkraine-2020, Zaporizhgaz-2000, and Cherkassy-Gazsnab, purchased liquefied natural gas at discounted prices and sold it at market prices. He also distributed the profits among the participants and laundered the profits through BrokBusinessBank and Real Bank, which he controlled, according to court documents.
The investigation materials recall that in August 2013, Sergei Kurchenko “in order to ensure the illegal activities of a criminal organization” purchased 80,0273% of the shares in the authorized capital of JSC Brokbusinessbank with a nominal value of 2.019999 billion hryvnia.
Legally, the purchase was formalized through contracts for the sale and purchase of securities with fictitious enterprises controlled by Sergei Kurchenko: “Eastern European Fuel and Energy Company”, “Aynam”, “Alkonost”, “Amadina”, “Aminami”, “Ankona-Torg”, “Muine”, “Ultrastarinvest”, “Higan”.
Following his arrest, these shares may be subsequently confiscated if the court finds Kurchenko guilty of the crimes charged.
As previously reported by Pervaya Instance, the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office is also currently conducting a criminal investigation against Kurchenko for money laundering through VETEK Gas Trading & Supply SA and VETEK Trading SA. Furthermore, local investigators have identified another Swiss company closely connected to the businessman's business structures: Elbrus SA.
Information:
On March 17, 2014, businessman and head of the supervisory board of the VETEK Group, Serhiy Kurchenko, was notified of a criminal suspicion (under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) of appropriation of another's property through abuse of office on an especially large scale. Last spring, he was placed on the wanted list.
Criminal proceedings were also initiated against officials of state-owned enterprises producing liquefied gas: Ukrgazvydobuvannya OJSC, Chornomornaftogaz, and Ukrnafta PJSC, who, under the guise of selling gas for the needs of the population, deliberately inflated the volumes of actual needs.
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