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The case of low-quality machine guns for the Armed Forces: the SBI provided new details
Kyiv • UNN
The State Bureau of Investigation has served a notice of suspicion to the former head of the Defense Ministry and two officials of a state-owned enterprise for supplying low-quality machine guns. Due to the fraud, the state budget lost UAH 193 million, and the weapons turned out to be dangerous for the military.
The State Bureau of Investigation has notified the former head of a Defense Ministry department and two officials of a state-owned enterprise of suspicion of supplying 200 low-quality machine guns to the front. The weapons could not fire continuously, had no markings and no relevant documents. This was told by the SBI communication adviser Tetyana Sapian during a telethon, UNN reports.
UNN wrote that the investigation concerned the former head of the Department of Military Policy, Development of Arms and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense, Oleksandr Liev.
"We currently expect that in the near future he (the former Defense Ministry official - ed.) will be chosen a preventive measure in this criminal proceeding, and, of course, everything related to our national security, the supply of the Armed Forces, is under the jurisdiction of the SBI, regardless of when the crime was committed - at the beginning of Russia's large-scale invasion or now. But the SBI is doing everything it can to catch red-handed those who are trying to profit from fraud and deals related to the supply of the army," the advisor said.
She noted that this is not the only such criminal proceeding.
"Now we are talking about the fact that in 2022, these former officials of the Ministry of Defense and two heads of state-owned enterprises were tasked with supplying 400 certified large-caliber machine guns to the front. However, as it turned out, instead of high-quality weapons, the frontline received cheap analogs, and only half of what was announced. That is, only half of what we are talking about - 200 purchased machine guns," noted Sapian.
She added that the machine guns were purchased with public funds. As it turned out, they had no markings, no relevant technical documentation, and no supporting documents. And during the battles, as the soldiers themselves have already said, such weapons proved to be incapable of continuous firing.
As a result of the relevant examinations and audits, it was established that the state budget suffered losses of UAH 193 million, and the condition of the machine guns themselves further endangered the lives of Ukrainian defenders.
"From the interesting facts in this criminal proceeding, we already understand that the suspicion announced to the former Defense Ministry officials is embezzlement through abuse of office," Sapian added.
According to her, the investigation began in 2023. The SBI reported that it is open to military personnel and citizens who reveal facts of corruption or wrongdoing, and noted that in this case it was the military who applied. Also, in 2023, criminal proceedings were opened and investigators conducted weapons examinations, which took longer because the machine guns were located in different parts of Ukraine. The investigation is ongoing, and the case will go to court only after the full collection of evidence.
Recall
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