Ukraine convicts 160 corrupt officials during full-scale invasion
16 July 2024 15:59
ЕКСКЛЮЗИВ
Between 24 February 2022 and June 2024, the High Anti-Corruption Court convicted 160 corrupt officials. This data was provided by the HACC at the request of Komersant ukrayinskyi 
“According to the court’s automated document management system, during the period specified in the request, the HACC delivered 10 acquittals against 15 people and 117 guilty verdicts convicting 160 people,”
– said Nataliia Kashynska, Head of the Department for Access to Public Information and Citizens’ Appeals.
One of the most high-profile corruption scandals was the fraudulent procurement of food for the Armed Forces by the Ministry of Defence.
THE HRYNKIVYCH CASE
At the end of December 2023, the State Bureau of Investigation detained one of the largest suppliers to the Ministry of Defence, Lviv-based businessman Ihor Hrynkevych. He is accused of fraudulent contracts for the supply of clothing and food, which resulted in the state losing one and a half billion hryvnias. on 30 December, the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv remanded Hrynkevych in custody with the possibility of bail in excess of UAH 429 million. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Moreover, Hrynkevych offered a bribe of $500,000 to the SBI to return the seized property. He will also face trial for this.
THE CASE OF THE FORMER DEPUTY DEFENCE MINISTER
In November 2023, the SBU served a notice of suspicion to the former Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine of embezzlement of almost UAH 1 billion. Vyacheslav Shapovalov held the post from 2021 to 2023 and supplied low-quality winter uniforms to the Armed Forces. According to the investigation, he and his subordinates purchased military uniforms from a Turkish company for almost UAH 1 billion without testing them in a laboratory. The low-quality uniforms, which were not designed for frontline conditions in winter, were registered and issued to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The defendant, as well as the former acting director of the Defence Ministry’s Public Procurement Department, face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
THE CASE OF JUDGE KNYAZEV
In May 2023, the NABU and the SAPO detained Vsevolod Knyazev, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, who is charged with a bribe of $2.7 million. According to law enforcement officials, Knyazev acted in the interests of oligarch Konstantin Zhevago, for whom he “pushed through” the necessary decisions in the Ukrainian courts. Knyazev faces up to 12 years in prison. At the end of May, Knyazev’s electronic bracelet was removed due to complaints that he “had no light and no connection for six hours, so the bracelet was ineffective”. However, the term of his duties was extended. And in July 2024, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniazev was found in Solotvyno, Zakarpattia, at one of the control posts. Knyazev stated that the NABU had no claims against him and was currently on leave by order of the Supreme Court.
An internal audit conducted by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine revealed violations totalling more than UAH 10 billion.
The majority of these violations were reimbursed and eliminated as a result of the internal audits.
It should be noted that 2.4 thousand people were included in the Corrupt Practitioners Register in 2023. Lviv and Kyiv regions were the most corrupt regions.
Author: Anastasia Fedor
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