Expert: The Defense Ministry did the right thing and on principle by terminating dubious contracts with Hrynkevych firms

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine took the right and principled position when it decided to terminate all contracts with the companies of the scandalous Hrynkevych family, because they are questionable in terms of corruption, and if these contracts were still in force, it would look strange in the eyes of the public. This opinion was expressed by political scientist Ihor Reiterovych in an exclusive commentary to UNN.

This is a logical and expected reaction, because since there are criminal cases there, the extension of these contracts is questionable from the point of view of, firstly, an impartial view of these cases, and secondly, it looks strange in the eyes of the public

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The next step, according to the political scientist, should be an internal investigation within the Defense Ministry itself.

"If there are accusations of abuse, then at least all contracts should be terminated, and then an internal investigation should be conducted. Because I think that in addition to the people who were involved from the outside, there are probably some questions to the people who signed the papers from the Ministry of Defense.

As far as I know, it was started immediately. And it is clear that these contracts cannot be valid because they are questionable in terms of corruption.

Therefore, it is correct, expected, and generally in line with the principles and standards that public authorities should follow in such situations. There is nothing extraordinary here. It was the right reaction," Reiterovich added.

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The military also supports this step. In particular, according to Myroslav Hai, an officer and deputy chairman of the Armed Forces Reserves Council, this demonstrates the Ministry of Defense's move toward transparency in procurement and the eradication of corruption.

"The Ministry of Defense, as I understand it, is reacting to the scandal that has taken place. They have to react somehow. An investigation is underway to determine whether there were any abuses or not, but, in principle, this is the right reaction. The main thing in these circumstances is whether there are other companies that can quickly replace those supplies so that the Armed Forces can have uninterrupted supplies, etc. This is a logical and normal reaction of the Ministry of Defense to the scandal, to the facts that have come to light. I believe that in a country that is striving for transparency in procurement, for fighting corruption, this is the right reaction," Gai said in a commentary to UNN.

Context

On December 29, 2023, SBI officers detained a Lviv businessman while he was trying to bribe one of the heads of the SBI's Main Investigation Department. USD 500 thousand was offered for assistance in returning property seized from companies controlled by him during the investigation of criminal proceedings. Ihor Hrynkevych had the status of a suspect in the criminal proceedings on attempted bribery.

Already on December 30, the court imposed on him a preventive measure in the form of detention.

On January 17, SBI officers served a notice of suspicion to a Lviv businessman, one of the largest suppliers to the Ministry of Defense, and members of a criminal organization that caused almost a billion hryvnias in losses to the state budget of Ukraine. The Bureau exposed them on fraudulent purchases of clothing and underwear for the Armed Forces.

Three suspects in the Hrynkevych case related to the supply of low-quality military clothing to the Armed Forces of Ukraine were sent to custody. As an alternative, the court determined the possibility of posting bail in excess of UAH 500 million for each of them.

On January 22, the State Bureau of Investigation in Odesa detained Ihor Hrynkevych's son Roman Hrynkevych. On the same day, the court remanded him in custody with the possibility of posting UAH 500 million bail.

Prior to that, on January 9, the Ministry of Defense decided to terminate contracts with the Hrynkevych family companies. However, on the same day, the Defense Ministry clarified that one contract with the scandalous Hrynkevych family had not yet been terminated. It was an agreement for the supply of food to the military for the period from January 1 to April 1.

However, on January 17, the Defense Ministry decided to terminate the contract for the supply of products with the company of entrepreneur Ihor Hrynkevych, Trade Lines Retail. The ministry also filed an application with the State Bureau of Investigation to recognize the Defense Ministry as an injured party in the case against companies affiliated with Hrynkevych.