Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said they had uncovered a major graft scheme involving inflated military procurement contracts, just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore the agencies’ independence.
In a joint statement published Saturday on social media, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said the suspects had taken bribes in a scheme that used state funds to buy drones and other military equipment at inflated prices.
“The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices,” the statement said, adding that offenders had received kickbacks of up to 30% of the contracts’ value.
The anti-corruption bodies did not identify the detainees, but said a Ukrainian lawmaker, local district and city officials, and National Guard servicemen were involved. Four people have been arrested so far, they said. The Interior Ministry said the National Guard personnel implicated in the case were removed from their positions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the development in his nightly address on Saturday, calling the graft scheme “absolutely immoral” and thanking the anti-corruption agencies for their work.
In an earlier post, which also included photos of him meeting with the agency heads, Zelenskyy said it is “important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently,” adding that “the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption.”
The exposure of the graft scheme by NABU and SAPO came just two days after Ukraine’s parliament voted to restore their independence.
Posted by John3262005
1 Comment
It takes a special kind of asshole to skim off the top in a national fight for survival