Corruption Scandal in Defense Ministry: New Investigation Details
The Security Service of Ukraine has uncovered corruption linked to a former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Defense, who caused the state a loss of 1 billion UAH through food procurement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The investigation revealed that this activity occurred from March to December 2022.
It was discovered that the former head of one of the ministry's departments was involved in the fraudulent scheme.
During the spring of 2022, he entered into a contract with a private company for the supply of food products, significantly inflating the prices by 41% for the products themselves and 221% for delivery. The failure to adequately verify the legitimacy of these amounts resulted in substantial financial losses to the budget.
An economic examination initiated by law enforcement confirmed the facts of the misappropriation of defense funds.
SBU investigators have reported suspicions against the former official under part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, pertaining to embezzlement of property in especially large amounts.
Currently, the issue of choosing a preventive measure for him is being resolved. The offender faces up to 12 years in prison with property confiscation. The investigation continues to hold all individuals involved in the crime accountable, under the supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General.
