The former head of the Ministry of Health Maksym Stepanov was arrested in absentia (video)

Maksim Stepanov/Illustrative photo from open sources

The Higher Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine arrested the former Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov in absentia. This was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

VACS arrested the ex-head of the Polygraph Kombinat State Enterprise, suspected of embezzling over UAH 450 million worth of state enterprise funds.

< p>VAX investigating judge chose a preventive measure on September 13 at the request of NABU detectives, approved by the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the SAP reported.

The court agreed with the arguments of the prosecutor and chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for the suspect.

After the person is detained and delivered to the place of pre-trial investigation, the investigating judge will decide on the application of this preventive measure.

At the end of July, NABU announced that it had uncovered a large-scale international scheme to seize the funds of the state-owned enterprise “Ukraine Printing Plant”. in 2013-2016 during the production of passports of Ukrainian citizens, ID cards and driver's licenses. 

The former Minister of Health  Maksym Stepanov, who headed the "Polygraph Complex" in 2011-2016. 

Scheme of the crime

In 2013, the head of the "Polygraph Complex" purchased an Estonian company as a proxy, expressing to foreign partners a mandatory requirement for cooperation – supply of products through the “necessary” company.

In the future, he organized the purchase of materials for the production of document forms (passports of citizens of Ukraine, ID cards, driver's licenses, etc.) through this company. The gasket company purchased materials directly from manufacturers, and then resold them to a state-owned enterprise at a 4-6 times inflated cost. During 2013-2016, through this scheme, a group of criminals took possession of funds in the amount of almost UAH 0.5 billion.

Money laundering

Ex-director of the “Polygraph Complex” disguised as the sale of 45% of his shares in the company, which actually did not work  (actual market value of about USD 100,000) to another controlled company for USD 1.35 million. Then he declared them, which actually enabled him to use them. Part of the funds in the amount of USD 150,000 was transferred directly to the accounts of relatives of the former director.  

Also, the ex-director patented the intellectual property right for the implanted protective elements used in Ukrainian passports to a controlled company (which was used for procurement). Thus, every citizen, receiving documents, not only overpaid the cost due to overestimation during purchases, but also "donated" official for his "intellectual contribution".

However, detectives took measures to eliminate this scheme. At the beginning of 2022, the Government supported the NABU initiative, changed the technical requirements and the image of protective elements of Ukrainian documents, which made it possible to get rid of dependence on the results of “intellectual work”. guidebook of the Polygraph Complex.

Prepared by: Serhii Daga