Procurement scandal: businessman stole UAH 35 million intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine
19 June 13:21
Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation have detained an entrepreneur from Luhansk region who misappropriated funds intended for the purchase of machinery and equipment for the needs of the Armed Forces and territorial defense units. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the press services of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation.
According to the investigation, an entrepreneur from Luhansk region misappropriated funds intended for the purchase of machinery and equipment for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and territorial defense units. These included quadcopters, night vision devices and other special-purpose goods.
In 2023-2024, based on the results of simplified procurement, the entrepreneur signed a number of contracts with three military units and one village council. The total amount of the contracts is over UAH 35 million.
Having received the funds to the accounts of his individual entrepreneur, the offender began to withdraw them through fictitious companies. The money was transferred allegedly for the purchase of goods that were not actually manufactured or purchased, as the counterparties had neither their own production nor official access to imports of the relevant products.
As a result, the equipment was not delivered, and the entrepreneur illegally seized over UAH 35 million.
The offender was served a notice of suspicion of misappropriation of property under martial law in a particularly large scale and of money laundering. He faces up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
