Searches at once in 16 gas distribution companies were carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Bureau of Economic Security. They affected enterprises throughout the territory of our state.

The relevant information was reported by the press service of the Regional Gas Company. It united two dozen regional gas companies operating on the territory of Ukraine. Read on, what was the reason for the searches conducted on March 17 by the SBU and BEB.

Searched 16 regional gas companies at once

According to reports, investigative actions took place immediately in 16 companies. We are talking about those located in Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Vinnitsa, Zhytomyr, Volyn, Transcarpathian, Sumy, Rivne, Khmelnytsky, Chernihiv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. All of them are connected with one of the oligarchs, the SBU emphasizes.

The searches were carried out under the sanction of the Shevchenkovsky District Court of Kiev. They took place within the framework of open criminal proceedings concerning the misappropriation of state funds.

Law enforcers noted that the management of regional gas companies may be involved in a large-scale scheme. It provided for the appropriation of gas that passed through the gas transportation system of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy.

“On paper, officials paid for gas to privately controlled companies, but in fact they did not receive gas from them. In fact, they made unauthorized withdrawals of blue fuel, which was in the gas transmission system and belonged to the state,” the SBU stressed.

Damage for 3.5 billion hryvnia

According to law enforcement, this scheme caused damage in the amount of 3.5 billion hryvnia. And that's just for 2021. But that is not all. After all, there was another part of the scheme. It is known that oblgas companies received tariff payments from consumers. True, they did not use the funds received to buy gas.

These funds were “transferred” to controlled commercial structures to go into the shadows. At the same time, the regional gas companies continued to use the reserves of the state gas transportation system and thereby increased their debt to Naftogaz, the SBU notes.

It is interesting that the organizers of the scheme tried to “write off” the artificial debt. At the same time, budgetary funds were used for this.

It should be noted that as a result of the searches , two companies returned to the property of state representatives. It is known that one of them is Kharkivgorgaz.

RGCs are convinced that the suspicions are far-fetched

The Regional Gas Company responded to the searches. Representatives emphasize that the suspicions put forward by law enforcement officers are far-fetched.

In our opinion, the criminal case, which became the reason for the searches, was initiated only with the aim of putting pressure on the enterprises that NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, represented by Chornomorneftegaz, is trying to seize in a raider way, the company notes.

Moreover, the RGC announced a raider seizure of JSC Kryvorizhgaz. The company stressed that Chornomorneftegaz brought managers to the critical infrastructure enterprise of Krivoy Rog. They were appointed by “illegitimately changed members of the supervisory board of the enterprise.”

• It should be noted that at the end of May 2022, information was received about the transfer of 26 oblgas companies by the court to the Agency for Tracing and Management of Assets.
• According to the decision, they should become part of Naftogaz Ukrainy. This will allow the company to control 60% of the natural gas distribution and transportation market.
• Currently, more than 40 gas distribution companies operate in Ukraine. As a rule, there is one oblgaz per region. True, there are areas in which from 2 to 4 companies can work at once in certain regions.