The former head of the SBU department “I” Artem Shilo until recently led the most high-profile cases against Ukrainian business, and now he may go behind bars. For almost two years NABU investigated a possible corruption scheme worth UAH 95 million in Ukrzaliznytsia, which Shila is suspected of organizing. What is the essence of the case and who else from the top of the SBU and UZ were detained by the law enforcement officers
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On April 2, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) detained Artem Shil, former head of the SBU department that investigates cases against businesses and a former adviser to the President’s Office.
Together with accomplices in 2021, Shylo allegedly created an organized group that took possession of UAH 95 million during the purchase of power transformers for Ukrzaliznytsia in June-December 2022. NABU investigators suspect that Shilo contributed to the victory in the tender for the supply of transformers for UZ to a company controlled by a citizen of Belarus with connections in the Russian Federation. The names of the suspects and the name of the supplier have not been released.
Shilo is suspected of crimes under parts of Article 191 of the Criminal Code (seizing state property using official position). If he is found guilty, he could be behind bars for 7-12 years.
This is a unique case, because there have been no investigations involving SBU representatives as co-organizers of the scheme, says Vadym Valko, a lawyer at the Anti-Corruption Center (CPC). The Shilo case is one of the most significant detentions of officials of the Security Service of Ukraine in the entire history, says Yurii Nikolov, editor of the “Our Money” website.
