Anti-graft court acquits State Food and Grain Corporation CEO in UAH 88M embezzlement case

The High Anti-Corruption Court has acquitted the defendants in the case of embezzlement in the State Food and Grain Corporation.

That’s according to Transparency International’s Telegram channel, Ukrinform reports.

"Today, the panel of judges of the High Anti-Corruption Court handed down a judgment in the case of former acting Chairman of the State Food Grain Corporation of Ukraine (SFGCU), Valeriy Tomilenko. He was accused of embezzling state funds," the report said.

The court noted that prosecutors had failed to prove guilt of Tomilenko and silo chiefs Shkvyra and Seliuchenko.

The panel of judges acquitted Tomilenko, Shkvyrya, and Seliuchenko and lifted the arrest off defendants' apartments and vehicles, as well as returned a UAH 2.5 million bail.

The press service of HACC confirmed to Ukrinform the acquittal of the defendants.

The inquiry claimed Tomilenko, in collusion with two silo directors, in 2015 embezzled nearly UAH 88 million of the state corporation. He was accused of signing agreements to supply corn on a full prepayment basis. Also, deals were sealed with Rokytnia plant on 16,600 tonnes of grain, and with Vasylkivkhliboproduct – on 11,683 tonnes. In fact, there was no grain, detectives said, but Tomilenko ordered that almost UAH 50 million and UAH 38.5 million be transferred to the said firms. At the same time, the SFGCU management reported profit off both contracts.

On July 26, 2016, Tomilenko was detained, and on August 22, he was arrested on a UAH 5 million bail. The next day, the bail was filed and UAH 34 million was returned to the accounts of the state-owned corporation.

On September 30, 2019, the Sviatoshyno District Court in Kyiv forwarded the case to the HACC. On November 18, the Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office handed down an indictment.

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