Authorities probe UAH 70 mln heat tariff fraud in Ivano-Frankivsk
The SSU, together with the National Police, exposed the beneficiary and three former heads of companies providing heat generation and heat supply services in Ivano-Frankivsk for millions of UAH in abuses. During the two heating seasons of 2021-2023, officials artificially inflated heat prices, thus misappropriating over UAH 71 million.
According to the SSU Department in Ivano-Frankivsk region, the scheme was organized by a resident of Kyiv region - the owner of a number of companies and facilities in the energy sector. He created two affiliated companies that leased about 25% of the heat generating and heat supply capacities of Ivano-Frankivsk.
To increase profits, the controlled entities concluded lease and sublease agreements for the same heat-generating equipment and heating networks. The costs under these agreements were included in the tariffs for the production and transportation of heat energy, which were paid by end consumers. In addition, when setting tariffs, the perpetrators concealed the actual heat losses in the networks, which caused the city residents to receive less heat and overpay for services not provided.
The scheme organizer also gained control over the remaining 75% of the city's heat and power infrastructure - boiler houses and heating networks, which were on the municipal enterprise's balance sheet. At the same time, the municipal enterprise suffered losses due to the lack of compensation for heat losses and payment for the transportation of fictitious heat volumes.
During searches of the suspects' homes in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, and Kyiv region, law enforcement officers seized financial and business documentation, draft records, computer equipment, mobile phones, and other evidence of illegal activity.
The organizer of the scheme and three former employees were notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 (seizure of property through abuse of official position on an especially large scale, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons under martial law). The sanction of the article provides for from 7 to 12 years of imprisonment with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years and confiscation of property.
We also previously reported that a former official of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and two employees of the State Enterprise "Ukrspetstorg" were suspected of involvement in a scheme for the illegal sale of decommissioned warships.
In addition, a scheme to steal food from a military hospital was recently exposed in Khmelnytskyi.
