Trafigura Ukrainian subsidiary's accounts are arrested by the court decision

Pechersk District Court of the city of Kyiv arrested funds on the accounts of Trafigura Ukraine, LLC, in the State Treasury and Alfa-Bank, according to enkor.

The court decision dated September 19 states that arrest imposes prohibition on any operations with funds deposited on accounts in the State Treasury and withdrawals from accounts in Alfa-Bank. 

The arrest was imposed under request of the General Prosecution officers within investigation of embezzlement by Ukrspirt, SE, officials during natural gas procurement. Investigation was launched in mid July 2017. 

"The documents of criminal investigation provide that, in 2016-2017, officials of Ukrspirt, SE, Skela Tertsium and unknown persons set up a criminal group for unlawful enrichment via tender procedures for procurement of natural gas for Ukrspirt, SE", the court decision states. 

Banking accounts of Skela Tertsium, involvant, are also arrested. Moreover, accounts of Smart Energy, managing company (unites 3 gas producers), Kraft Energy (importer, natural gas trader) and of about 20 more companies are arrested. 

Smart Energy press service said that, in 2016-2017, the company had no deals with either Ukrspirt or Skela Tertsium. "Over the period mentioned in the decision of Pechersk District court, Smart Energy, LLC, had no relations with Ukrspirt, SE, and Skela Tersium, LLC. The company will appeal against the court decision in accordance with the effective law", press service commented. 

Public data from ProZorro system related to tenders of Ukrspirt, SE, for natural gas supply shows that Trafugura Ukraine, Smart Energy, Kraft Energy didn't participate or win tenders of the state-owned enterprise within the mentioned period. 

Gas tender winners of Ukrspirt were Promenergo Resurs, Esko-Pivnich, Gastradeservice, LNG-Trading and Neftegasgroupp Demetra within that period of time. None of these companies is mentioned in the published court decision for the General Prosecution investigation of Ukrspirt case. 

Trafigura is the third world raw materials trader after Vitol and Glencore, specialized on trading with metals, gas, oil and mineral fertilizers. 2016 revenues amounted to USD 98.1 billion. The company accounts for 65 offices in 36 countries. On May 6, 2017, Trafigura opened the office in Ukraine. The company has become the biggest private gas importer in the country in a short period of time.