UAH 2.6 mln embezzlement scheme uncovered in UAV purchases
In Poltava region, law enforcement officers have uncovered a scheme to embezzle budget funds during the purchase of quadcopters for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the investigation, the losses to the territorial community amount to 2.6 million hryvnias.
Among the defendants in the case is a former director and current employee of one of the departments of the Poltava City Council, as well as the head of a contracting company. As established by the operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department in the Poltava region of the National Police, the officials acted in collusion with a business representative.
According to the investigation, they organized the purchase of 90 quadcopters for the needs of the Ukrainian defense for a total amount of almost 14.5 million hryvnias. The cost of the equipment was artificially inflated, which resulted in losses to the territorial community of 2.6 million hryvnias.
In addition, one of the department's employees, knowing that the quadcopters had not actually been delivered, entered knowingly false information about their receipt into the official documentation. This became the basis for transferring the full amount of funds under the contract to the contracting company.
The investigation also established that the director of the company legalized the illegally obtained funds - transferred them to the accounts of another company under the guise of paying for auxiliary services, after which he withdrew the money in cash and used it for his own needs.
Detectives of the Poltava Oblast Bureau of Investigation reported suspicions to the former director of a department of the Poltava City Council, the chief specialist of the same department, and the head of a commercial structure. They are charged with abuse of office, official forgery, and legalization of property obtained by criminal means under four articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 2 of Article 364, Part 1 of Article 366, and Part 1 of Article 209).
The most severe sanction is provided for under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, “Abuse of official position committed by a group of persons in a prior conspiracy, which caused grave consequences,” which is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 3 to 6 years, a fine of 8.5 to 17 thousand hryvnias, and deprivation of the right to engage in certain activities for up to 3 years.
Earlier, large-scale abuses were exposed in Odessa during the purchase of beds for military personnel. According to the investigation, the state overpaid almost 18 million hryvnias of budget funds.
Law enforcement officers also uncovered a scheme to supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with low-quality mines and embezzle advances. The cost of the damage is almost UAH 3 billion.
