Former MP and Defense Ministry advisor organized a scam with military uniforms
29 November 2024 06:28
Law enforcement officers under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office uncovered a large-scale scam involving the purchase of military uniforms. A former advisor to the Ministry of Defense, a former MP and his son were served suspicion notices. The issue of choosing a measure of restraint is currently being decided. This was reported by the National Police, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
“In order to seize budget funds for the order of more than 1,000,000 sets of clothing for the Ukrainian military under agreements concluded in 2022 at inflated prices, a former adviser to the former Deputy Minister of Defense entered into a criminal conspiracy with a People’s Deputy of the II-IV convocations. They planned to divide the more than $10 million in differences from the procurement cost among all participants in the criminal scheme, including former defense officials,” the report says.
According to Suspilne‘s sources, these are businessman Roman Balykin (owner of the ATL group of companies), former MP Ihor Franchuk and his son Yaroslav Franchuk.
According to the investigation, in 2022, the fraudulent scheme was organized by a former adviser to the former Deputy Minister of Defense, a former MP, and his son. The fraud involved a foreigner with a criminal record in several countries, who, through a controlled company, entered into an agreement with a Turkish holding company to produce more than a million sets of uniforms for $25.6 million.
They signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense for $35 million, and planned to split the difference of $10 million among themselves. After receiving an advance of $10 million, the Turkish manufacturer delivered the uniforms. However, the foreigner disappeared and did not pay the rest of the money, which the scheme participants spent on their own needs.
The SBU conducted 38 searches in the suspects’ residences, seizing documents, equipment and other evidence of illegal activity.
Currently, the men are suspected of misappropriation of property by deception on a large scale (Part 4 of Art. 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They face up to 12 years in prison.
