Former head of the Migration Service embezzled UAH 88 million during the reconstruction of an administrative building
18 June 2024 17:28
The former head of the State Migration Service (SMS) has been suspected of misappropriating budget funds worth more than UAH 88 million. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the press service of the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.
According to media reports, it is Maksym Sokoliuk, who headed the service from 2015 to 2021.
The investigation found that in 2015, the State Migration Service of Ukraine received a building in the centre of Kyiv from the state to set up its headquarters.
“The businessman, who had long been in “friendly” relations with representatives of the SMS and other officials, organised a long-term scheme to embezzle budget funds during the reconstruction of the building with the use of controlled persons in the structure of the migration service,”
– the report says.
It is noted that to implement the criminal plan, he conspired with the then head of the State Migration Service and the head of the Department of Resource and Economic Support and Capital Construction of the SMS, and then with the deputy head of the State Migration Service, who, instead of properly performing their duties, seized the funds allocated for the construction of the building.
In particular, the former head of the SMS assisted the businessman in concluding contracts with companies under his control for design and construction work by distorting the results of the bidding process and ensuring payment for unperformed work and services.
“For several years, the criminal group has been misappropriating budget funds by overstating the cost and scope of work performed. As a result, the reconstruction of the State Migration Service headquarters building has not been completed, computer systems with the relevant software exist only on paper, and the companies responsible for the reconstruction have folded,”
– the SAPO noted.
As a result of the scheme, the budget suffered losses of over UAH 88 million.
According to journalist Oleh Novikov, others were also involved in the scheme:
- Sergiy Donskiy, Sokolyuk’s deputy at the SMS;
- Volodymyr Vakalyuk, former head of the Department of Resource and Economic Support and Capital Construction of the SMS;
- Salgerei Salgereev, a businessman involved in the fraud.
The NABU press service reminded that in September, Donskoy, Vakalyuk and Salgereyev were notified of suspicion of embezzlement of public funds, and a conspiracy was uncovered by three companies controlled by the businessman. The three companies were fined almost UAH 3.5 million by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine.
Maksym Sokoliuk was served a notice of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation and embezzlement of property through abuse of office). He faces seven to 12 years’ imprisonment without the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years with confiscation of property.
