A minimum of 4 Ukrainian officers have been arrested in a “large-scale corruption scheme” involving the acquisition of drones designed to defend Kyiv in opposition to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned.
Simply three days after Zelensky restored the independence of Ukrainian’s prime anti-corruption companies following fierce public backlash, the prez mentioned the Nationwide Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Workplace unveiled a plot by a sitting lawmaker, two native officers and a number of other nationwide guard service members to skim cash meant to defend their nation.
“The essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with provider firms at intentionally inflated costs,” the companies added Saturday in an announcement, noting the kickbacks to the officers have been as much as 30% of the contracts’ inflated prices.
The plot concerned heads of district and metropolis navy civil administrations who allegedly helped prepare dinner the books on the purchases of drones and digital jamming gear — very important instruments used to intercept the ever-escalating bombardments from Ukraine’s Russian invaders.
Drones have confirmed to be key to Ukraine’s assaults on Moscow, too, with the vast majority of Ukrainian assaults on Russian navy belongings involving UAVs, together with a latest in a single day strike on an oil depot.
“Sadly, these corruption schemes concerned the procurement of digital warfare techniques and FPV drones. … There should be full and truthful accountability for this,” Zelensky mentioned on social media.
“There can solely be zero tolerance for corruption. Clear teamwork to reveal corruption and, in consequence, a simply sentence,” he mentioned.
Whereas Ukrainian officers didn’t title the suspects within the case, the president mentioned 4 folks have been arrested to date.
Ukraine’s Inside Ministry added that the Nationwide Guard personnel implicated within the scheme have been faraway from their positions because the prosecutor’s workplace strikes ahead with the case.
The arrests come after the independence of NABU and SAPO have been secured Thursday following nationwide protests over Zelensky ratifying a invoice that may have put a political appointee in command of the companies.
Whereas Zelensky initially defended the transfer as a method to weed out Russian affect within the companies, he later agreed to let the companies function as they have been.
NABU and SAPO have been born following Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity in 2014, which known as for a serious clear up of Kyiv after ousting pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, whose administration was marred in corruption.
The companies have beforehand focused a few of Zelensky’s shut allies, together with former Deputy Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, with the instances typically inflicting main shakeups in Kyiv whereas its management tries to concentrate on the warfare.
Critics have warned Zelensky that ongoing corruption undermines Ukraine’s capability to struggle again in opposition to Russia, in addition to threatens the nation’s hopes of becoming a member of the European Union.
With Submit wires
