A case concerning a group that financed the Russian Federation’s budget through business activities in occupied Crimea has been referred to court
Officers from the State Bureau of Investigations, in conjunction with the National Police, have completed a pre-trial investigation into the organiser and seven members of an organised criminal group, who are suspected of financing the Russian Federation’s budget through business activities in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. An indictment against the eight suspects has been submitted to the court.
According to the investigation, the group’s members were the founders and managers of interconnected companies. Following the occupation of Crimea, they re-registered their businesses in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and continued their commercial activities in the interests of the occupying authorities. The companies operated in the leisure and agricultural sectors.
The investigation established that between 2017 and 2022, the suspects voluntarily paid over 70 million roubles in tax to the Russian Federation’s budget, equivalent to 35.7 million hryvnias. According to law enforcement agencies, these funds were used by the aggressor state, in particular to finance military units.
During the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement officers gathered evidence of the organiser’s and seven group members’ involvement in the voluntary payment of taxes to the aggressor state’s budget.
As part of the criminal proceedings, assets belonging to those involved, with a total value of over 57.4 million hryvnias, were seized. Following a court ruling, the property was transferred to the management of ARMA.
The seized assets include four Mi-2 helicopters, two An-2 aeroplanes, 59 vehicles, five flats with a total area of over 540 square metres, ten plots of land covering almost 12 hectares, over 50 non-residential properties with a total area of over 43,000 square metres, as well as corporate rights in 11 companies with a registered capital of over seven million hryvnias.
The eight defendants are charged with committing an offence under part four of Article 110-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The indictment against another member of the organised group is already before the court.
The penalty under this article provides for imprisonment for a term of up to ten years, accompanied by disqualification from holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for a period of up to three years, and the confiscation of property.
Operational support was provided by officers from the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police in the Cherkasy region; the pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators from the Fourth Investigation Department of the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation, based in Kyiv, whilst procedural supervision was carried out by the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime until their guilt has been proven in accordance with the law and established by a court conviction.
