The funds of the Ministry of Defense were seized during the purchase of military ammunition in the amount of 580 000 US dollars: the National Police reported the suspicion of the members of the criminal group
Among the suspects are the co-founders and director of an offshore company, including an acting attorney. During the searches, money in different currencies totalling more than UAH 37 million was seized from the defendants.
The fraudulent scheme and its participants were exposed by the Investigation Department of Corruption Crimes of the Main Investigation Department and the operatives of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine under the procedural guidance of prosecutors of the Office of the Prosecutor General. According to the investigation, two Ukrainian citizens are involved in its organization - the founders of an offshore company on the territory of the Kingdom of Bahrain. One of them is an acting attorney.
These citizens were representatives of the Ministry of Defense. To fulfill the order of the Ministry of Defense, they found abroad a supplier of military goods for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and organized the conclusion of an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and the Turkish company for a total amount of more than 16 million euros.
To seize the funds, the defendants convinced the management of the Turkish company to conclude an agreement with the controlled company for the purchase of 1000 military ballistic vests of the IV level of protection for their urgent delivery for the needs of the Armed Forces. As a result, the offshore company received $580,000. In fact, there were no deliveries of military products, and the funds obtained fraudulently were distributed among the attackers.
On the basis of the collected evidence, the investigators informed three members of the criminal group about the suspicion of committing a criminal offense provided for in Part 4 of Art. 190 (fraud) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Among the suspects are the co-founders and director of a Bahraini company.
In addition, the police conducted sanctioned searches and seized UAH 17 million, $400,000. USA, 100,000 euros, “rough” records, documentation. Further measures are being taken to bring to justice other participants in the criminal scheme.
The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment up to twelve years with confiscation of property.
Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine
