Over EUR 3 million reimbursed to Ukraine in the Polygraph Plant case: what is known about the investigation
13 November 00:25
Ukraine has received real compensation for losses in the case of corruption at the state-owned enterprise Polygraph Plant Ukraine. The French company SURYS, which was involved in the international investigation, transferred 3.37 million euros (over UAH 163 million) to the state budget. This was reported by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
This is the first reimbursement in the history of Ukraine received as a result of the activities of the international joint investigation team (JIT), which included Ukraine, France and Estonia.
How the investigation was conducted
The French company SURYS was a counterparty of the Polygraph Plant Ukraine, a state-owned enterprise that produces passports, strict reporting documents and excise stamps.
In the course of the joint investigation, law enforcement officers uncovered a scheme to misappropriate funds organized by the former director of the state-owned enterprise. The official forced a foreign supplier to work through a controlled company in Estonia, demanded that a French company transfer copyright, and in exchange received illegal royalty payments.
As a result of such actions, the cost of materials for the state-owned enterprise increased several times, and the losses exceeded EUR 20.5 million.
Cooperation of international prosecutors
The investigation in France was conducted by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (Parquet national financier). It was the latter that entered into a judicial settlement agreement with SURYS (Convention Judiciaire d’Intérêt Public), which was approved by a court in Paris on September 3, 2025.
Under the terms of the agreement, the French company paid a fine and compensated the state of Ukraine for the losses.
The Ukrainian side was represented by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), which coordinated the protection of Ukraine’s interests in the French court together with PNF.
Participation of the NABU and international partners
The Joint Investigation Team was coordinated by Eurojust, and international platforms played a key role in the interaction between the countries:
- OECD GLEN (Global Law Enforcement Network),
- Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR), which provided advice on asset recovery.
It is thanks to these structures that the international investigation was conducted in a timely and transparent manner, which resulted in a real financial gain – the return of funds to the Ukrainian budget.
Court results in Ukraine
In December 2024, the Ukrainian side entered into a plea agreement with a person close to the former head of the Polygraph Plant.
The High Anti-Corruption Court issued a verdict according to which the accused
- compensated UAH 14.5 million in damages,
- paid UAH 2 million in donations to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
- provided incriminating testimony against six people, which became important evidence in French and Estonian courts.
In Ukraine, the investigation into the Polygraph Plant case has been completed, and the defense is familiarizing itself with the materials.
