Investigation of the case of the former head of the SPFU is completed: Sennichenko will be tried in absentia
4 October 2024 23:25
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office have completed the investigation into the case of former head of the State Property Fund Dmytro Sennichenko. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the SAPO and NABU.
According to the NABU, the activities of the “criminal organisation” headed by the former SPFU chairman resulted in more than UAH 700 million in losses to the state, and the exposure “became one of the most high-profile in the history of anti-corruption bodies.”
The organisation is also suspected of legalising the proceeds of crime worth over UAH 10 billion.
The case concerns the embezzlement of Ukrainian industrial giants Odesa Port Plant and the United Mining and Chemical Company.
Sennichenko is believed to be the organiser of a criminal group that embezzled money from the OPP and UMCC in 2019-2021. In total, the investigation suspects ten people.
Currently, the suspects (positions at the time of the crime) are
- head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (head of the organisation, organiser);
- a person close to the head of the SPFU (co-organiser);
- first Deputy Head of the SPFU in 2021;
- advisor to the Head of the SPFU;
- two acting directors of Odesa Port Plant JSC (in different periods);
- acting Head of JSC United Mining and Chemical Company;
- two owners of the LLC that won the auction for Odesa Port Plant JSC;
- one individual – an accomplice in the crime.
They are charged with creating a criminal organisation (Article 255 of the Criminal Code), misappropriation of property (Article 191 of the Criminal Code), abuse of power (Article 364 of the Criminal Code) and legalisation of property (Article 209 of the Criminal Code). The maximum sanction under these articles is 13 years in prison.
In May 2024, the HACC arrested Sennichenko in absentia in the case of embezzlement of state-owned companies.
What is known about Sennichenko’s case
on 22 March 2023, the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau exposed a criminal group headed by former Head of the State Property Fund Dmytro Sennychenko. The criminals illegally seized over UAH 500 million of state-owned enterprises’ funds.
Sennichenko and nine other accomplices were served with a notice of suspicion.
It should be noted that in April 2023, Dmytro Sennichenko was put on the wanted list. Initially, he was suspected of creating a criminal organisation and embezzling more than UAH 500 million from Odesa Port Plant JSC and United Mining and Chemical Company JSC.
As you know, Sennychenko had been the head of the SPFU since 19 September 2019, and he submitted his resignation in November 2021. The Verkhovna Rada accepted his resignation only in February 2022.
According to media reports, after his dismissal, Sennichenko moved to Spain, while a number of other defendants in the case live in Austria.
