Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported suspicion to ex-head of the JSC State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine, a British citizen, who, according to preliminary data from the investigation, organized an illegal mechanism for embezzling state corporation funds.

"By his actions, the state has been inflicted material damage worth more than UAH 9 million," the SBU said on its website on Thursday.

At the same time, the special service didn't name the name of the ex-official.

At the same time, it is known that British citizen Simon Cherniavsky acted as head of the board of the State Food and Grain Corporation from December 2019 to April 2020, after which he refused to extend the employment contract with the state corporation. Prior to his appointment, he served as Director General of the Mriya Agro Holding.

According to the SBU, investigators suspect the official of committing a criminal offense under Part 5 of Article 191 (misappropriation, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it by abuse of office) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The exposing of the illegal actions of the ex-official was carried out by the Main Directorate of Counterintelligence Protection of the State's Interests in the Field of Economic Security of the SBU, together with investigators of the Investigative Directorate of the Office of Large Taxpayers of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office. At the present time, investigative actions are underway to establish all the circumstances of the case and bring the other persons involved to justice.

JSC State Food and Grain Corporation was established by the government of Ukraine in August 2010. It includes an extensive network of branches: linear and port elevators, mills, feed and cereals factories. In total, 53 divisions of the corporation's branch can store 3.7 million tonnes of grain, including about 2.5 million tonnes per year of total capacities for shipment of grain cargo for export in Odesa and Mykolaiv ports.

In the first half of 2020, State Food and Grain Corporation increased its net loss 4.1 times compared to the same period in 2019, up to UAH 3.45 billion, and its revenue decreased 2.2 times, to UAH 4.17 billion.