"The president of Ukraine supported the move to suspend Oleh Hladkovsky from his duties as Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine pending the investigation," Poroshenko's spokesperson Sviatoslav Tsegolko wrote on Facebook.
According to Tsegolko, Poroshenko is demanding that law enforcement agencies urgently verify the information released in the report by Nashi Groshi media investigative project to either refute or confirm it.
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On Monday night, the journalists released the investigative report claiming that Ihor Hladkovsky, the son of First Deputy Secretary of the NSDC Oleh Hladkovsky, is involved in large-scale schemes of embezzling budget funds in the defense sector.
It is alleged that Hladkovsky Jr. and his partners conspired with defense officials to procure military spare parts from Russian smugglers, as well as from Ukrainian Army warehouses. Prices for spare parts, which often did not meet quality standards, were hiked significantly. Then, the journalists say, the perpetrators would sell these goods to defense plants in conspiracy with top managers of Ukroboronprom, Ukraine's state-owned Defense Concern.
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The group allegedly received from Ukroboronprom at least UAH 250 million in kickbacks.
Journalists brand Oleh Hladkovsky the president's "friend" set to informally "supervise" the country's defense industry.
