UAH 36 million embezzled from aircraft equipment: ex-head of defense company and 9 accomplices are under suspicion
Kyiv • UNN
Law enforcers exposed a scheme to embezzle UAH 36 million for the purchase of components for combat aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The ex-director of the state-owned enterprise and 9 accomplices were served a notice of suspicion and face up to 13 years in prison.
The ex-head of a defense company and nine accomplices are suspected of embezzling UAH 36 million in aircraft equipment, UNN reports, citing the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office.
Law enforcement officers, in cooperation with the management of Ukroboronprom, exposed new episodes of misappropriation of budget funds for the purchase of components for combat aircraft of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to the SBU, this is a criminal scheme that law enforcement officers dismantled in December 2023 at one of Ukraine's defense enterprises.
At that time, the former director of the plant was caught embezzling at least UAH 4 million during the purchase of modules for radar systems for Ukrainian fighter jets.
At present, law enforcement officers have documented an additional UAH 32 million, which the suspect and his accomplices have moved “into the shadows”.
Thus, the total amount of losses incurred by the state is over UAH 36 million.
According to the case, the scheme consisted of accepting knowingly defective parts on the balance sheet of the enterprise, which were supplied to the plant by “their” companies. The money paid for these defective parts was then cashed out and distributed among the participants in the scheme.
The former director of the state-owned enterprise (in absentia), his former deputy, six heads of controlled companies and two other accomplices have been served with notices of suspicion (in accordance with the crimes committed) under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Art. 255, paras. 2, 3 Art. 255 (creation, leadership of a criminal community or criminal organization, as well as participation in it);
- ч. 4, Art. 28, Art. 191, para. 5 (misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of office on an especially large scale committed by a criminal organization);
- ч. 4 Art. 28, Art. 366 (official forgery of official documents, entering knowingly false information into official documents committed by a criminal organization);
- ч. 4 of Art. 28, part 3 of Art. 209 (legalization (laundering) of the proceeds of crime in particularly large amounts committed by a criminal organization).
The offenders face up to 13 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The SBU added that the former head of the state-owned enterprise is hiding from justice outside Ukraine. Comprehensive measures are being taken to bring him to justice for his crimes.
