Investigators of the National anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) filed on Wednesday charges of embezzlement in excess of $ 8 million to the former head of the enterprise “Ukrkosmos”, who is not named

NABOO

As have informed in a press-service of the Bureau, he became the third suspect, whose actions led to the failure of the launch of the first Ukrainian satellite “Lybid”

Ukrkosmos

Investigators of the National anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) filed on Wednesday charges of embezzlement in excess of $ 8 million to the former head of the enterprise “Ukrkosmos”, who is not named. As have informed in a press-service of the Bureau, he became the third suspect, whose actions led to the failure of the launch of the first Ukrainian satellite “Lybid”.

“The investigation established that during the 2011-2017 years suspected of organized scheme, which was taken abroad and legalized 8,245 million dollars designated for construction of the launch vehicle at the facilities of the state enterprise “Yuzhmash”, – is spoken in the message published on the official website of the anti-corruption Bureau on Wednesday.

The stolen money was allocated on loan from the Canadian export Agency under the guarantee of the government of Ukraine in the amount of 292.4 million dollars. To do this, the head of “Ukrkosmos” signed the documents with the heads of the canadian Corporation Macdonald, Dettwiler And Associates Corp. For the subsequent withdrawal of the stolen money was used Cyprus offshore.

As noted in the NEB, as a result of such criminal acts were “disrupted the launch of the first Ukrainian telecommunications satellite “Lybid”, as one of the components of building a national satellite communication system of Ukraine”.

The former head of the enterprise “Ukrkosmos” charged with part 2 of article 364 (abuse of official position) UK of Ukraine.

Two other defendants – former freelance Advisor to the General Director of the national space Agency of Ukraine and his accomplice were indicted on 5 December 2018, reports TASS.

The Bureau added that former external adviser to the space Agency have been detained. Him accuse under several articles of the Criminal code of Ukraine – part 2 St. 364, part 5 article 191 (assignment, waste of property or taking to them by abuse of official position) and part 3 of article 209 (legalization of monetary funds and other property obtained in a criminal way) the criminal code of Ukraine. Second suspect charged with just one count of money laundering.

In the NAB added that currently the Ukrainian government continues to maintain a debt to a canadian Corporation that issued a large loan to state enterprise “Ukrkosmos”. As part of these commitments, the foreign partners have already transferred about 6 billion hryvnia (over $ 216 million at current exchange rates).

A 10-year satellite project “of special importance”

The satellite “Lybid” (“Swan”) had planned to launch in 2011, but the launch has been postponed for various reasons, among which were the financial problems of canadian partners, and problems with financing the Ukrainian enterprises “Pivdenmash”.

In 2009, the Ukrainian space Agency has signed a contract with canadian company MDA for the production of the satellite and the construction in Ukraine of the facility ground support infrastructure for its use. The Russian company “Information satellite systems” performed as a subcontractor, responsible in particular for the satellite platform and the design of the payload module. Total funding for the program was approved in the amount of 38.5 billion hryvnia ($1.5 billion).

In April 2013, it was announced that the launch of communication satellite “Lybid” is scheduled for 28 December 2013. As the head of NSAU (national space Agency of Ukraine) Yuri Alexeev after the launch of the satellite communication all communication of the state structures of Ukraine needs to move the service through the “Lybid” for the preservation of state secrets. “Ukraine in the end of 2013 will join the prestigious club of countries with their own artificial satellite of the Earth” – wrote about this ambitious project, the newspaper “arguments and facts Ukraine”.

4 APR 2014 the first Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Vitaly Yarema declared that Ukraine had decided to stop military-technical cooperation with Russia. It happened shortly after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, which was seen as an act of aggression.

16 Jun 2014 the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko banned any cooperation with Russia in the military-industrial complex. While unfinished the satellite remained in storage in Russia. The Russian partners expressed their willingness to return the spacecraft to Ukrainian customers at their request.

17 September 2018, the head of state space Agency of Ukraine Pavel Degtyarenko once again announced postponement of the launch of Sputnik. At this time, bring “Lybid” in earth orbit has promised in August 2019. Degtyarenko explained that this will be the case, if the canadian contractor will resume work on the project.