Ukraine's police probing into large embezzlement during Kyiv Boryspil Express construction

Ukrzaliznytsia on November 30 launched the Kyiv Boryspil Express railway service between Kyiv's main railway station and Boryspil Airport.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UAA1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ukraine's National Police are now probing into facts of large-scale embezzlement by top managers of the national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, during the construction of a track for the Kyiv Boryspil Express railway service.

A pretrial investigation started on December 4, 2018, to check facts of large-scale embezzlement by top managers of the state-owned enterprise who could act in collusion with managers of a privately owned firm, Kyiv's Pechersk Court said in a January 17 ruling.

Read alsoKyiv-Boryspil Express breakdown: Passenger gets compensation for missed flight

Managers of the private firm are suspected of having provided works and services on paper only and submitted deliberately false information in official documents.

It was established during the pretrial investigation that in 2018, the Relaid firm repeatedly won public procurement tenders called by Ukrzaliznytsia's branch, the South Western Railway, to build a railway service between Kyiv and Boryspil Airport. The total sum of the tenders is estimated at UAH 20.445 million (US$730,180).

"To siphon budget funds, Relaid's top managers transferred the funds paid by Ukrzaliznytsia's branch, South Western Railway, to accounts of enterprises that had signs of bogus companies, namely to Magistral 77, Laucar-Info, Trade Synergy, Deineko Group, Prime Stream Oil, Atlant Stroy Group, PTG, Amiran XXI, Metalholding for allegedly purchased works and services," it said.

To check the said companies, investigators sought temporary access to bank accounts of Relaid and Magistral 77, who are clients of Kyiv-based PJSC Crystalbank.

Investigator from the Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine Anatoliy Liutiuk was authorized to have temporary access to possessions and documents of Crystalbank.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrzaliznytsia on November 30 launched the Kyiv Boryspil Express railway service between Kyiv's main railway station and Boryspil Airport. The implementation of the project took nine months; its budget was UAH 480 million, or US$17.14 million.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UAA2 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!