Investigation of two security officers suspected of embezzling millions of euros

Ukraine’s prosecutor’s office announced on Monday, November 6, that it had formally announced the investigation into a new corruption case targeting two security officials for defrauding them of millions of euros in the purchase of poor-quality bulletproof vests in the country facing a Russian invasion. .

According to the prosecutor’s office, the former deputy minister of defense and one of his collaborators are also under investigation “Fraud of public funds“and”are subject to a suspicion notice».

The names of the two have not been released.He ordered personal protective equipment of inadequate quality from abroad» By paying them in full and without honor in advance”Planned quality control process“, the State Bureau of Investigation, an anti-corruption body, described in early October.

“Living in Danger”

«As a result, the Ukrainian armed forces received poor-quality body armor that could not be used in combat without risking life.», and estimated the fraud at more than six million euros, further condemning the Bureau of Investigation.

The two in custody will be sentenced to 12 years in prison. According to the Bureau of Investigation, these scams represent a new chapter in a global affair worth more than 36 million euros, particularly related to contracts to supply the Ukrainian military with poor-quality ammunition.

Ukraine’s defense ministry has been rocked by a series of corruption cases since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, forcing Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov to resign last September.

The fight against corruption, a scourge that is spreading in the country, is one of the criteria set by the European Union to examine the candidacy of Ukraine, which has received billions of euros in Western aid since the start of the war.