On January 29, the High Anti-Corruption Court rejected the request of the prosecutor's office and refused to choose a preventive measure for the former head of the Department of Military-Technical Policy, Development of Weapons and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Liyev.
The prosecutor's office asked to choose Liev's detention or set bail in the amount of 268 million hryvnias. However, the court rejected these demands.
During the court session, there were people ready to take Liev on bail. According to the report, showman Oleksandr Pedan and Deputy Secretary of the NSDC Andriy Demartino expressed their desire to become guarantors for the suspect.
The prosecutor said that they will first receive the case materials and only after that they will decide whether to file an appeal.
The case concerns embezzlement of funds for the purchase of shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On January 27, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted searches of officials of the Ministry of Defense and managers of Lviv Arsenal. The SBU exposed a scheme of embezzlement of state funds during the purchase of ammunition for the Armed Forces. According to the suspicion, the interviewed persons have already obtained all the necessary information and identified all those involved in the violations.
According to the investigation, in October 2022, those involved signed a contract for the supply of 100,000 foreign-made mortar rounds. However, no deliveries have taken place, although the promised dates were in December 2022. The Ministry of Defense has already prepaid 97% of the contract value.
Five persons involved in the case were charged under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation, embezzlement of property or possession of it by abuse of official position, committed by an organized group). For this crime, they face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. One of the suspects, ex-head of the Department of Defense Oleksandr Liev, was detained while trying to leave the country.
