The National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) on November 8 seized 15 volumes of documents from the Ministry of Defense on the facts of the purchase of weapons and equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the past years.
In particular, NABU detectives are checking purchases of Bogdan 2251 ambulances and off-road trucks MAZ 5316 and MAZ 6317 in 2015-2019. They are now studying the circumstances of including these vehicles into the state defense order and their cost, according to the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
As part of the proceedings, the reasons for the annual growth of 30 percent in the price of these vehicles, as well as the legality and grounds for concluding additional agreements that increased their cost, are being clarified.
Detectives will work at the Ministry of Defense for at least two months.
Read alsoEx-NSDC official Hladkovsky, freed on bail in corruption probe, to wear ankle monitor
As UNIAN reported earlier, on February 25, investigative journalists with the Nashi Groshi with Denys Bihus project unveiled the first part of their probe claiming that the son of Oleh Hladkovsky, then-First Deputy Secretary of the NSDC, was allegedly involved in large-scale embezzlement scheme in defense industry.
The investigation alleged that Hladkovsky Jr. and his partners conspired with government officials to buy parts for military equipment and weapons from Russian smugglers, as well as from warehouses of the Ukrainian army. The prices of spare parts, which often failed to meet quality standards, were overestimated. In collusion with the management of Ukroboronprom, Ukraine's defense giant, products were sold to defense plants, the investigation said. Thus, the group allegedly received from Ukroboronprom at least UAH 250 million. Journalists said Hladkovsky was part of the then-president Petro Poroshenko's entourage.
On March 4, Poroshenko signed a decree dismissing Hladkovsky from the NSDC post.
The Special Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office opened criminal proceedings to verify millions-worth dealings in the defense sector, revealed by journalists.
On March 4, journalists unveiled a second part of their investigation into the purchase of components at inflated prices for Ukroboronprom enterprises, according to which UOP chief Pavlo Bukin and Hladkovsky allegedly received kickbacks for the supply of altimeters used in repairs of a Kazakh An-26.
On March 11, journalists published another part of the probe, according to which NABU in December 2016 had considered the contracts of Optimumspetsdetal with the Kharkiv Armored Plant to be suspicious and included the company in the list of fictitious firms, but later reversed the move. According to journalists, NABU allegedly took a bribe for such a decision.
On March 12, the State Bureau of Investigation opened proceedings on possible abuses by officials of the Prosecutor General's Office, SBU, fiscal service, and NABU in the investigation of defense fraud.
July 5 came the report that Hladkovsky took helm of Bogdan Corporation.
On July 19, Bogdan Corporation announced that Hladkovsky was out of Ukraine and therefore would not be able to report for questioning at NABU.
