NABU and SSU Uncover UAH 10M Embezzlement in Justice Ministry

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) have uncovered a scheme for the illegal appropriation of state funds in the Ministry of Justice. The amount involved is over 10 million hryvnias.

This was reported by the press services of the NABU and the SSU.

According to the investigation, the former State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, the current head and deputy head of departmental departments, as well as the beneficial owner and two managers of the limited liability company were involved in the transaction.

According to law enforcement officials, the suspects seized funds during the procurement of services for the modernization of the hardware and software complex. Thus, in 2021, they initiated the conclusion of a contract with an affiliated private company for the purchase of new servers and software for the Ministry of Justice for 19 million hryvnias.

At the same time, the indicated purchase price exceeded the average market prices for these types of goods and services many times. Thus, more than half of the amount transferred from the budget to the contractors' accounts was stolen by the organizers of the scheme.

The commodity and forensic economic examination of the purchased server equipment and software, initiated by law enforcement officers, confirmed the facts of illegal activity.

Based on the evidence received, the former State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, the head and deputy head of departmental departments were notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (embezzlement or appropriation of property through abuse of official position, committed on a particularly large scale).

In addition, under the same article, suspicion was reported to three managers of an affiliated private company with which a relevant contract was concluded.

Investigations are currently underway to bring all participants in the scheme to justice. The suspects face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

In turn, the Ministry of Justice stated that it provides comprehensive support to anti-corruption authorities for an objective investigation into the 2021 procurement case and is "fully open" to cooperation.

The department also says that at the same time, "additional measures are being taken to strengthen internal control to prevent such offenses."

We will remind, earlier NABU detained a judge for a bribe in a bag of apples.

We also reported that the SSU exposed the waste of 1 billion UAH on food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.