Case description
On November 2, 2022, the HACC found Ihor Holoborodko, former deputy general director of the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant, and Ihor Veduta, director of Eco-Service Trading House LLC, guilty of causing UAH 24.5 million in damages to the state-owned enterprise by criminal acts.
The Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Zhovti Vody is engaged in the extraction and processing of uranium ore and is also a producer of sulfuric acid.
Between February and May 2015, the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant and Eco-Service Trading House LLC concluded a number of additional agreements to the contract for the purchase of minerals (sulfur) for the needs of the state-owned enterprise. The price of sulfur was gradually increased, and the amount of sulfur was reduced through three intermediary companies: first, the price was inflated by 31%, and then by 57%. It is estimated that the state-owned enterprise suffered losses of UAH 24.5 million.
This was explained by a sharp rise in the dollar from UAH 15 to UAH 25, but the original agreement did not mention currency fluctuations. Subsequently, the NABU succeeded in getting the court to terminate the agreements for the purchase of sulfur for the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant at inflated prices. The private company wants to repay the UAH 24.5 million.
By the way, Ihor Veduta is Ruslan Zhurylo's close friend, who, along with former MP Martynenko, is a defendant in the case of embezzlement of EUR 6.4 million from Enerhoatom and USD 17.28 million from the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant.
Veduta and Holoborodko were hiding in the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, so they were put on the wanted list. The defendants were tried in absentia, and in 2020 Holoborodko was detained and arrested for 40 days in Simferopol. The Ministry of Justice did not file an extradition request, as this would have meant recognizing Russian jurisdiction over Crimea.
The court classified the actions of Holoborodko and Veduta (as an intermediary) under Article 191, part 5 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and the latter was also charged as an intermediary. Veduta was sentenced to 9 years in prison with confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions for 3 years, and Holoborodko was sentenced to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property. The judges also applied special forfeiture to UAH 20.85 million that the firm received from the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant.
The appellate instance upheld the verdict. The cassation appeal is being heard.
