KIEV, Dec. 24 – One of the largest grain traders in Ukraine - Alfred C. Toepfer International ( Ukraine ) LLC – has been fined $17.8 million for bribing officials to obtain value added tax (VAT) refunds.

"One of the largest exporters of grain from Ukraine - Alfred C. Toepfer International – pleaded guilty to paying bribes [around $22 million] to Ukrainian officials to obtain VAT refunds worth over $100 million," the Kommersant-Ukrainian publication reported.