The SSU and the ESBU under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office have exposed another large-scale misappropriation scheme by the ex-management of PJSC Ukrtatnafta.

Mykhailo Kiperman, a former member of the company’s supervisory board and Ihor Kolomoisky’s business partner, is involved in organizing the criminal scheme.

According to the investigation, he initiated a withdrawal of almost UAH 600 mln (USD 15.9 mln) from Ukrtatnafta's accounts.

This was done on the first day of russia’s full-scale invasion, probably with the expectation that the perpetrators would not be held accountable for the theft.

According the scheme, on February 24, 2022, PJSC Ukrtatnafta transferred to a controlled European company almost UAH 600 mln, which were supposed for another supplier as a payment for the previously chartered 84,000 tons of crude oil.

At the time of the transaction, the oil was already in Odesa port and was to be delivered for further processing to Kremenchuk refinery.

To carry out the ‘deal’, Ukrtatnafta’s former top management created a ‘clone contract’ in which they changed the details of the payment recipient.

In this way, the company managers transferred money to a controlled entity instead of paying the real oil supplier.

Based on the evidence collected, a notice of suspicion was served to Mykhailo Kiperman, a former member of Ukrtatnafta’s supervisory board, and the actual owner of the non-resident company, which received the UAH 600 mln.

They are suspected under three Articles of the CCU:  

• 191.5 (misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of office);
• 28.3, 200.1 (unlawful actions with transfer documents, payment cards and other means of access to bank accounts, electronic money, equipment for their production);
• 28.3, 366.1 (official forgery).

The investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the offence and bring the involved to justice.

Kiperman is hiding from justice abroad. The decision to put him on the international wanted list is pending.

The operation was conducted jointly with the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine under the supervision of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Earlier, the SSU together with the ESBU exposed large-scale schemes of misappropriating UAH 40 bln by former owners and top managers of Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta.

Following the exposure, Ukrtatnafta transferred to the state budget over UAH 1.2 bln in taxes unpaid by the former management.