Embezzlement of 5 million hryvnias on satellite phones for the AFU in Poltava region – case sent to court
Kyiv • UNN
Poltava region officials caused 5 million hryvnias in damages during the procurement of phones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The case regarding embezzlement and money laundering has already been referred to court.
Prosecutors of the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Central Region have filed an indictment against three officials of a department of one of the city councils in the Poltava region and a company director in a case involving over UAH 5 million in damages during the procurement of satellite phones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, according to UNN.
Details
According to the investigation, in 2023, the department purchased 70 satellite phones as part of a program to support the Defense Forces of Ukraine. A contract worth over UAH 13 million was concluded with a pre-selected company without conducting open tenders.
The investigation believes that to justify the cost, one of the officials prepared a formal market monitoring report with proposals from companies that did not actually supply such equipment.
Furthermore, at the time the contract was signed, the supplier did not have the required phones; however, the documentation falsely indicated their delivery and receipt.
After the certificates of completion were signed, over UAH 13 million was transferred from the budget.
Subsequently, the company director purchased the phones at a significantly lower price, and according to the investigation, laundered part of the funds through transactions with the accounts of other enterprises
As a result of the procurement, the local budget suffered over UAH 5 million in damages. The prosecutor's office has also filed a civil lawsuit for compensation of the damages caused.