The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) of Ukraine announced the exposure of a corruption scheme in one of the military units involved in procurement for the country's defense. The investigation found that the head of the Mykolaiv Housing and Operations Department, together with a private entrepreneur, embezzled more than 10 million hryvnias intended for defense needs.
It was established that in September 2023, the official concluded a number of contracts with a private enterprise for the purchase of firewood to meet defense needs. The wood was supplied at a price that was 20% higher than the market price.
According to the scheme, state money was transferred to the company's account, and the "margin" for the goods was divided between the conspirators. The total amount of losses reached almost 10 million UAH.
Currently, the official has been notified of suspicion of abuse of official position (Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and measures are being taken to compensate for the damages caused to the state.
The issue of imposing a preventive measure on the official in the form of detention and removal from office is being resolved. Work is also underway to notify the entrepreneur of suspicion.
The sanction of the article provides for a penalty of up to 6 years in prison.
