The higher anti-corruption court made changes to the preventive measure against the former head of the department of the Ministry of Defense Oleksandr Liev, releasing him on personal recognizance. Together with him, four other people are suspected of embezzling almost 1.5 billion hryvnias during the purchase of ammunition for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Lawyer Nazar Kulchytskyi informed about this change of preventive measure. According to him, he has no information whether Liev was present when he was released from custody, as the court order did not provide for his mandatory presence.
From the recording of the broadcast of the meeting, it is known that the prosecutor was not absent during the consideration of the motion to change the preventive measure. The meeting was led by a judge who had previously released Liev on personal recognizance.
We will remind that on February 12, the Appellate Chamber of the Higher Anti-Corruption Court took Liev into custody until April 8 with the right to post bail in the amount of 50 million hryvnias.
According to the investigation, in October 2022, those involved signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense for the supply of 100,000 foreign-made mortar rounds. However, deliveries did not take place, although they were promised to start in December 2022. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense handed over 97% of the amount stipulated in the contract to the Lviv Arsenal enterprise.
On January 27, the National Police and the Security Service, with the assistance of the Ministry of Defense, declared suspicion against five persons involved in the case. All of them are charged under Article 191 of the Criminal Code, that is, in the misappropriation or embezzlement of property by abuse of official position committed by an organized group. This is punishable by up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The Ministry of Defense announced that it won the court case regarding the Lviv Arsenal company and undelivered mines.
On January 27, as part of this case, Oleksandr Liev was detained when he tried to leave the country. The ex-official himself rejects the accusations, claiming that at the time of the agreement the prices were acceptable, and adds that it was he who introduced severe penalties for breach of agreement and delays in the contract.
