A large-scale scheme of fictitious grain sales has been uncovered in the Kyiv region, organised by former high-ranking officials. A participant in the organisation was found to be a former MP and Minister of Ukraine’s Ministry of Agro-Industrial Development. The director and technical manager of one of the region’s agricultural enterprises also participated in the criminal scheme.
The perpetrators signed a contract to supply 7,000 tonnes of maize from the 2025 harvest, using forged warehouse receipts and transfer-acceptance certificates to simulate the deal. The documents purportedly indicated the storage of the grain at an elevator in the Kyiv region, but the relevant authorities discovered that the grain was not present.
It is worth noting that the enterprise, which allegedly sold the grain, issued warehouse documents for over 130,000 tonnes of produce, greatly exceeding the real capacity of their elevator, which has a capacity of 60,000 tonnes. An examination confirmed the buyer’s losses amounted to 63.7 million UAH.
During the operation, law enforcement conducted 26 searches in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, seizing financial documents, digital media, and vehicles. The absence of the declared grain was confirmed directly at the warehouse.
Three members of the criminal group have been charged with fraud on an especially large scale under part 5 of article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Measures to select preventive measures are underway, and the pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
Source: SpecprokuraturaZahidRegion