The Pechersky District Court of Kiev freed Viacheslav Kruk, the Odessa-based businessman with interests linked to the Ukrainian National Stevedoring Company (which operates at the Odessa port’s berth No. 14), on a bail of UAH 365,000 on 2 October.
As reported, officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained Kruk in his home on 29 September and took him to Kiev. Ukraine’s General Prosecutor Vitalii Yarema said at a press conference that the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Security Service of Ukraine had uncovered a scheme that was used to steal USD 15 million by the State Food and Grain Corporation of Ukraine. According to Yarema, this money was intended for transfer into the account of an offshore company located in Cyprus for acquiring part of the authorized capital of the company that holds the lease on a berth at the Odessa seaport. Apparently, he was referring to a deal involving acquisition of the Ukrainian National Stevedoring Company.
After his release, Kruk said there was a plan to purchase equipment for an elevator jointly with Chinese businessmen. "The deal has been stopped now, and the Chinese have abandoned it because they considered it dangerous," he said.
