Rescuers and inflated purchases: what is known about the case involving 6.4 million hryvnia
3 February 21:43
Law enforcement officials have notified the director of a supplier company that in 2022 supplied protective suits to Vinnytsia rescue workers at almost twice the market price. According to the investigation, the deal caused the state losses of 6.4 million hryvnia.
This was announced by the Office of the Prosecutor General, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
What are the suspicions?
The case concerns the purchase of 790 sets of special radiation, chemical, and biological protection equipment, which the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in Vinnytsia region purchased in the midst of a full-scale war.
Investigators claim that:
- the suits were of inadequate quality;
- they were purchased at 8,100 hryvnia per unit;
- while the average market price was 4,417 hryvnia.
According to investigators’ calculations, this difference resulted in millions in losses to the budget.
Conspiracy with State Emergency Service officials
According to law enforcement, the director of the Lviv company acted in collusion with officials from the Vinnytsia Department of the State Emergency Service.
Earlier, within the same proceedings, the following individuals were notified of their status as suspects:
- the former head of the regional department of the State Emergency Service;
- the head of the resource support department.
What articles are incriminating
The director of the company has been charged with several offenses, including:
- misappropriation of budget funds through abuse of official position;
- committed by a group of persons acting in collusion;
- under martial law;
- on a particularly large scale;
- as well as legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means.
A preventive measure has already been applied to the suspect (the type of measure is not specified by the prosecutor’s office).
Who is investigating the case
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by:
- investigators of the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation in Khmelnytskyi;
- with operational support from the Internal Security Department of the National Police;
- procedural guidance is provided by the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
The case is being investigated against the backdrop of a series of criminal proceedings concerning inflated procurement in the security and defense sector during the war.
Earlier, law enforcement officials reported on:
- the purchase of army beds at double prices in Odesa;
- the embezzlement of UAH 14.6 million in the State Criminal Enforcement Service;
- cases of illegal enrichment in the logistics structures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- a large-scale corruption scheme during the procurement of food for the army, which was exposed by NABU and SAP.
