Ex-director Kovalchuk remains an influential player in Ukrenergo

Companies associated with relatives of the former acting Director of Ukrenergo Vsevolod Kovalchuk continue to be contractors of NEC Ukrenergo. In particular, Khoros LLC, which includes members of the Kovalchuk family.

This is stated in a letter from the State Audit Service.

On one of the contracts, in which this LLC was a contractor, Ukrenergo lost UAH 183 million - because Ukrenergo officials did not recalculate the cost of the contract after the general contractor Inabensa SA was unable to fulfill its obligations.

“Lack of control on the part of Ukrenergo, and failure to adjust the contract value in the amount of UAH 183,357,591.28 (UAH 149,842,050.60 + UAH 33,515,540.65), resulting from the difference between the funds paid by NEC Ukrenergo “in favor of the representative office of Inabensa SA and the actual cost of the work performed by subcontractors, which in turn led to unnecessary expenses of NEC Ukrenergo,” says the SAS act.

Khoros LLC was a subcontractor during the construction of the 750 kV power transmission line Zaporozhye NPP - Kakhovskaya. The cost of construction was UAH 4.89 billion. The contractor, the Spanish Inabensa SA, missed the deadline because it was in bankruptcy. Ukrenergo did not take measures to recover damages caused by violation of the terms of the contract for 11.184 million euros. According to the State Automation Service, the work was carried out by Ukrainian subcontractors - Struktum LLC and Khoros. The difference in the cost of work from Struktum LLC within the framework of contracts concluded with Khoros LLC and the amount that Ukrenergo paid to the general contractor is UAH 149.8 million.

Former acting Director of Ukrenergo Vsevolod Kovalchuk, before he was appointed to the position in 2015, headed the company’s tender committee from 2010 to 2013. “Ukrenergo” worked with the company “Ukrenergomontazh”, which is associated with the entourage of Yanukovych and ex-Minister of Energy Boyko. Ukrenergomontazh began winning Ukrenergo tenders in 2011. Over 3 years, the company won contracts worth UAH 3.78 billion from NEK, with a cost 2-2.5 times higher than market prices. The State Fiscal Service indicated that in 2011-2013 Ukrenergo carried out 12 procurements with violations, amounting to UAH 2.066 billion.

“The audit established the difference between the cost of inventory items acquired by counterparties and those sold by the State Enterprise NEK Ukrenergo in the amount of UAH 79,752,030, an overstatement of the cost of work performed totaling UAH 14,300,000 and unconfirmed expenses by UAH 3,400,000,” – says in court papers.

In 2015, the Prosecutor General’s Office, investigating how the head of Ukrenergo during the Yanukovych era lobbied the family’s companies in tenders, achieved access to documents of companies controlled by Kovalchuk and his family, according to the resolution of the Pechersk court: “Former chairman of the competitive bidding committee, first deputy director of the State Enterprise NEK “INFORMATION_3″ PERSON_5, abusing his official position in his own interests, with the aim of misappropriating public funds in the period 2010-2014. contributed and continues to assist enterprises controlled by him and family members in being recognized as winners in government procurement of goods and works.”

Information about companies associated with Kovalchuk’s relatives was explained by “Nashi Groshi”: “State funds were transferred to Khoros LLC, and then, under the guise of payment for work performed, services provided, VAKKA LLC, Tilos LLC, LLC were credited.” Production and commercial company “Ukrbudinvest-2000”, the founder, director or manager of which is the suspect’s sister.” We are talking about Anna Kovalchuk, the sister of Vsevolod Kovalchuk.

Also in 2014, “Our Pennies” reported: “The director of “Khoros” is Dmitry Kuznik. A person with the same full name holds the position of manager in Razors Distribution Company LLC, the main owner of which is Vsevolod Kovalchuk.”