Lesya Leshchenko17:42, 03.02.23

The former head of the Main Apartment and Operational Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a senior officer of the department for technical supervision of the construction of this institution are involved in the scam.

The Security Service of Ukraine has liquidated a large-scale embezzlement scheme of public money allocated for the development of the military infrastructure of the Defense Forces.

According to the press center of the SBU, the former head of the Main Apartment and Maintenance Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a senior officer of the technical supervision department for the construction of this institution are involved in the deal.

It is noted that they are the organizers of the mechanism for embezzlement of more than 5 million UAH during the construction of barracks for military personnel on the territory of the Mykolaiv garrison. According to the investigation, in order to implement the transaction, the head of the department entered into a number of contracts with a commercial structure for the implementation of repair and construction work.

“According to the signed documents, the contractor had to carry out a major overhaul of the roof, engineering networks of power supply, water supply and sewerage in residential buildings. However, the merchants did not complete the relevant work in full, and the participants in the scheme transferred the budget money into the shade. Thus, the barracks remained unsuitable for residence of military personnel,” the statement said.

The construction, technical and economic expertise initiated by the Security Service confirmed the facts of criminal activity. The SBU informed that during searches in the premises of the Main Directorate of Property and Resources of the Ministry of Defense, which is the successor of the Main Apartment and Operational Directorate, and at the addresses of residence of nine defendants in Kyiv and Vinnitsa, law enforcement officers seized financial and economic documentation with evidence of the transaction.

© photo by SBU

© photo by SBU

© photo by SBU

© photo by SBU

© photo by SBU

© photo by SBU

Now an employee of the department for technical supervision of the construction of the Main Apartment and Operational Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been informed of a suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or official position). An investigation is ongoing to bring to justice all the organizers and participants in the theft of money allocated for the defense of the country.

Scandals in the Ministry of Defense

On January 21,  Zerkalo Nedeli reported that the  Ministry of Defense was buying food for the military  at inflated prices. In particular, the Ministry of Defense signed an agreement for UAH 13 billion with a company with an authorized capital of a thousand hryvnias, using it as a “laying” company. For example, it became known that the eggs of the Ministry of Defense were sold at 17 UAH apiece. Later, the head of the department Alexei Reznikov denied this information, but his deputy Vyacheslav Shapovalov wrote  a letter of resignation . NABU  launched an investigation into  the procurement situation.

A new scandal occurred on February 2, when Ukrayinska Pravda reported that the acting head of the Department of Military-Technical Policy, Development of Arms and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense Alexander Liev allegedly  found a Russian passport . He resigned of his own accord. Subsequently, it became known that the information about citizenship was fake and the journalist apologized.

Against the backdrop of all the scandals, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced new steps in the fight against the internal enemy and “cleansing our state.”

(C)UNIAN 2023