The head of the Zaporizhzhya apartment and operational department of the Ministry of Defense Ivan Maksimenko was detained for suspicion of organization of procurement of firewood for the needs of the Armed Forces at inflated prices. This was reported by law enforcement officers who qualified his actions as official negligence, which caused the state of multimillion -dollar losses.
The investigation found that the official systematically concluded direct contracts with individuals, avoiding the procurement procedures provided by law. As a result, firewood was bought at the highest prices among all similar units of the Ministry of Defense.
Particular attention was drawn to the fact that the suppliers were selected by Kiev companies - despite the fact that firewood was purchased for the region where they are available at much lower prices.
According to preliminary estimates, such purchases have led to losses of the state budget in the amount of almost UAH 20 million.
Ivan Maksimenko has already been suspected of Article 425 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - "Careless attitude towards military service". The issue of choosing a preventive measure is currently under consideration. The media reported that the official may be free.
The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officers do not rule out that other persons may be involved in the scheme.
