The SBU reports that it has exposed a large-scale scheme of theft of public funds during the purchase of ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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The press center of the special service reports this.
Former and current officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and heads of affiliated companies are involved in the transaction, the statement says. — The attackers tried to steal almost 1.5 billion budget hryvnias from the purchase of 100 thousand mortar rounds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to the investigation:
- in August 2022, officials entered into a contract for the purchase of a wholesale batch of artillery shells with the arms supplier Lviv Arsenal;
- then the Ministry of Defense transferred the entire amount provided for by the signed document to the company’s accounts;
- after receiving the funds, the company’s management transferred part of the money to the balance of a foreign commercial structure, which was supposed to supply custom-made ammunition in Ukraine;
- however, she did not send a single artillery shell to Ukraine, and took the funds received into the shadows, transferring them to the accounts of another affiliated structure in the Balkans;
- the rest of the amount from the Ministry of Defense remained in the accounts of the Ukrainian company in one of the capital’s banks.
As a result of complex measures, SBU officers documented the scheme of theft of public funds and identified all persons involved in the transaction, the SBU notes. “Thanks to the measures taken by the SBU, the stolen funds have been seized, and the issue of their return to the budget of Ukraine is being resolved.
Five persons involved in the proceedings were informed of suspicion under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code (misappropriation, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it through abuse of official position, committed by an organized group).
In particular, the following were suspected:
- former and current heads of the Department of Military-Technical Policy, Development of Weapons and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense;
- the head and commercial director of the Lviv Arsenal company, as well as their accomplice – a representative of a foreign commercial structure.
The SBU detained one of the defendants trying to leave Ukraine, so he is in custody. The issue of precautionary measures for other defendants is now being decided, the statement says.
The perpetrators face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. Criminal proceedings were initiated based on the results of an audit of the State Audit Service (SASU). The SBU notes that the documentation of the crime took place with the assistance of the current Minister of Defense.
Subsequently, it became known that while attempting to cross the border, the former head of the Department of the Ministry of Defense, Alexander Liev, was detained. Liev reported this on his Facebook page.
“Today I was supposed to go on a business trip to Slovakia to inspect mine clearance vehicles that should be delivered to Ukraine in February of this year, about which I told you so much,” Liev noted.
I planned to return to Ukraine by February 5 to personally take part in a meeting that the Ministry of Economy plans to hold with humanitarian demining operators.” Therefore, there can be no talk of any escape from my country, especially since I have traveled abroad several times over the past year and have always was returning,” he added.
Liev denies the accusation against himself, and considers the suspicion “senseless.”
I consider this detention to be an unfortunate misunderstanding. I feel confident in my legal actions. “Ukraine is a law-governed country, you can prove your rightness in court,” he noted.
Source: Racurs
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