"Aluminum magnate" Serhiy Shapran launders hundreds of millions through the bank of a former member of the Party of Regions

Serhiy Shapran – businessman, politician, and lawyer, repeatedly becoming the subject of journalistic investigations.

As previously reported by "ANTIKOR", a deputy of the Brovary City Council is trying to create an image of a "philanthropist" and "benefactor" to hide the real state of affairs: his companies are subjects of criminal proceedings for tax evasion, legalization of proceeds from criminal activities, illegal use of mineral resources, and bribing officials. Besides the "bouquet" of criminal offenses suspected to be committed by enterprises in Shapran’s orbit, he is also accused of hiding the business of a sanctioned citizen of the Russian Federation, Ihor Naumets.

A Jack of all trades

Exploring Serhiy Shapran’s biography gives the impression of a "man of God," as he has managed to succeed in several fields at once. First and foremost, according to official data, Shapran is a talented lawyer. He began his career in law in the mid-2000s. At one time, as evidenced by data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Physical Persons-Entrepreneurs, and Public Formations, he even managed to be a notary in the temporarily occupied Mariupol, Donetsk region. Meanwhile, he combined his professional activity with wholesale trade in building materials. An unusual symbiosis, indeed. Shapran’s notary career did not last long – he ceased his activities in 2012.

Excerpt from the USR LE, PE, and PF on Shapran’s notary activity

An intriguing detail in Shapran’s biography is that since 2002, he has headed a legal company with the exotic name "Emperor." In the same year, he graduated from school and celebrated his coming of age, and only the following year did he enter the Kyiv National University of Internal Affairs. Later, as we mentioned earlier, he worked as a notary in Mariupol, simultaneously engaging in wholesale trade of building materials, and created his first enterprises, including in the metallurgy sector, financial sector, and extraction of minerals. In 2012, he attempted to run for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as an independent candidate in the single-member electoral district in the city of Brovary, Kyiv region, but lost. The next time Serhiy Shapran successfully ran for office: in Brovary in 2021, he was elected from the political party "For the Future," associated with oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi, who is currently detained, and his business partner Ihor Palytsya. At that time, Shapran headed the district cell of the party and actively promoted himself as a benefactor, public figure, etc.

Now you can find his abandoned website on the internet – it hasn’t been administered since 2021, yet during that time, it contained a lot of interesting information.

Screenshot of Serhiy Shapran’s website

The first thing that catches the eye is how Shapran refers to himself – "people’s deputy of the Brovary City Council." Perhaps someone from the politician’s team should have informed him that people’s deputies only exist in the Verkhovna Rada, while in local councils they are simply deputies. But let’s not focus on that.

On Shapran’s website, it is also stated that since 2012, he has been the founder of the "investment holding ALUMETA Group," but such a company is not registered in accordance with Ukrainian law. However, it can be found in an offshore zone – in Cyprus. "ALUMETA LTD" was founded there it owns the Brovary Aluminum Plant. The ultimate beneficial owner of the offshore company, according to the register, is Serhiy Shapran.

Information about the founders and owners of LLC "Brovary Aluminum Plant"

The "Brovary Aluminum Plant," which, as we established, belongs to a firm from Cyprus, has questionable financial indicators. During 2022-2023, the company’s revenue amounted to more than 1.6 billion hryvnias. At the same time, the net profit is only 10 million hryvnias. The "Brovary Aluminum Plant" not only participates in public procurement but also wins them. For example, in May of this year, Shapran’s company won a bid of JSC "Kyiv Electric Car Repair Plant" for the supply of aluminum sheets worth 4.189 million hryvnias.

Financial indicators of LLC "Brovary Aluminum Plant"

On the website of the Cypriot company "ALUMETA," owned by Shapran and which includes the "Brovary Aluminum Plant," it is indicated that the enterprise supplies aluminum products to 30 countries. There is also a map of the countries with which ALUMETA cooperates. It shows that one of the countries to which aluminum is exported is the Republic of Belarus. It does not need reminding that in February 2022, Belarus provided a staging ground for the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Due to the treacherous act of the Belarusian dictator Oleksandr Lukashenko, Russian troops managed to reach the suburbs of Kyiv within a few days. However, it seems that this does not bother Serhiy Shapran; "ALUMETA" prides itself on its cooperation with the collaborators of the occupiers.

Map of countries with which ALUMETA works (screenshot from the company’s website)

Criminal trace

Despite Serhiy Shapran’s frequent talk about his impeccable reputation and outstanding successes, law enforcement authorities have repeatedly questioned whether the businessman conducts his activities honestly. The leading company of the entrepreneur – "Brovary Aluminum Plant" has been involved in a number of criminal proceedings since 2018. The plots are virtually the same. Unsurprisingly, the cases involve financial crimes. In June 2018, the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine in Kyiv noticed probable tax evasion by the plant. A pre-trial investigation was initiated and entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under №32018110130000021 from 21.06.2018. At that time, investigators established that the company "Akor Group," in collusion with officials of the "Brovary Aluminum Plant," allegedly leased a warehouse from them and even renovated it. In reality, at the time of the "lease," the warehouse premises had been demolished, and fictitious contracts were signed to evade taxes.

In the "package" of criminal proceedings investigated against Shapran’s company, there are also those that can be called atypical and even amusing. One of his enterprises, located at the same address as the "Brovary Aluminum Plant," signed a contract for gas supply with "Kyivoblgaz." When technicians came to check the meters, they found that someone had removed them, and the entire plant had been using gas for free for an unknown period, essentially stealing the gas. The information about the crime was entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under №42017111130000476 from 21.12.2017, on grounds of criminal offenses provided for in part 1 of article 361 ("Unauthorized interference in the work of information (automated), electronic communication, information-communication systems, electronic communication networks"), and part 4 of article 190 ("Fraud") of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The most recent episode in the criminal proceedings against the Brovary Aluminum Plant dates back to last year. Investigators from the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine are investigating a criminal proceeding against Shapran’s company. His enterprise is suspected of tax evasion and money laundering.

However, even criminal proceedings are not the critical problem for the Brovary Aluminum Plant. The enterprise, despite having significant income, has enormous debts. According to the register, Shapran’s company has obligations of 138 million hryvnias only to banking institutions. The total amount of the "Brovary Aluminum Plant" obligations is about 440 million hryvnias. This level of debt suggests that the funds are either being funneled offshore (through the Cypriot company that owns the plant) or the enterprise’s expenses are being intentionally inflated to avoid paying profit tax. Both schemes may be working simultaneously. The fact that everything is not clean with Shapran’s company’s financial obligations is evidenced by the following fact: over the last 8 years, they have received 34 loans totaling 878 million hryvnias. Without exception, all loans were provided by the same bank, "ASVIO Bank." We are sure most of our readers have never heard of the existence of such a financial institution. It’s not surprising, as "ASVIO Bank" has less than 50 branches across Ukraine, and the bank’s capital is only 548 million hryvnias. The financial institution also generates minimal profits; last year, "ASVIO Bank" earned only 19.8 million hryvnias. The scandalous Suprunenko brothers are the bank’s owners. The older brother, Oleksandr, was a member of the Ukrainian parliament for two terms from the "Party of Regions" and then got elected to the VIII term as a majoritarian and joined the "Will of the People" group, mainly consisting of former “Regionals.” The younger brother, Vyacheslav, was a deputy of the Kyiv City Council when Ukraine’s capital was headed by the "astronaut" Leonid Chernovetskyi. The Suprunenko brothers have been plagued by corruption scandals for decades, yet they manage to "stay clean."

Oleksandr and Vyacheslav Suprunenko

Collecting all this information together, it can be concluded that the Suprunenko brothers’ bank issues fictitious loans to Serhiy Shapran’s company so that debts appear in their reports. All scheme participants benefit from this: "ASVIO Bank" declares income from supposedly paid-off liabilities (not taxed), and the "Brovary Aluminum Plant," on the contrary, shows expenses to avoid paying profit tax.

It seems we have uncovered a scheme of probable tax evasion and money laundering. Perhaps the investigators of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine will pay attention to activities showing clear signs of criminality and will start yet another pre-trial investigation against Serhiy Shapran’s company.

But this is far from the end of the infamous businessman’s schemes.

To be continued…