SBU Exposes Scheme of Embezzlement of UAH 20M Allocated for State Cyber Defence

The officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) exposed Kyiv entrepreneurs who embezzled funds allocated for the protection of classified information circulating in government institutions and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. According to preliminary information, the criminals inflicted UAH 20 million losses on the state.

As the SBU managed to establish, the funds were embezzled through fraud with the cost of works. The wrongdoers deliberately overpriced their services and withdrew the illegally obtained money through straw companies.

At the same time, the scammers are a Kyiv private company that underwent certification of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine and has the appropriate license.

The main task of the dealers, in accordance with the contracts, was to ensure technical and cryptographic protection of information circulating in the government agencies.

In 2018-2019, this company served the following agencies:

• National Police of Ukraine
• National Guard of Ukraine
• JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways)
• Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine
• Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise
• State Enterprise Ukrenergo
• District Administrative Court of Ukraine, etc.

Two defendants – directors of straw companies – were served with notice of charges under Part 2 of Article 205-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for forgery of documents submitted for state registration of a legal entity.

Currently, it is planned to examine whether the documents contained information constituting a state secret, as well as to conduct forensic economic and computer-technical examinations in order to confirm the losses inflicted on the state and make the appropriate procedural decision.

Natalia Tolub