Former Ministry of Defence authoritative and 2 erstwhile heads of arms companies were detained due to corruption. It is about providing the Ministry of defence with defective anti-tank rocket systems (ATMS). The state suffered losses of over 90 million hryvnia. About the case reported lawyer General of Ukraine, Ruslan Krawchenko.
New affair in Ukraine. ‘Under the agreement concluded. The capital defence company was to supply the military ministry with guided anti-tank missiles to be immediately sent to the front line.” – says SBU. alternatively of modern weapons, contractors supplied military anti-tank installations inappropriate for their use, and the budget received was transferred to the grey area and abroad.
The investigation showed that 3 people were active in the crime. They were accused of treason, embezzlement of assets on a peculiarly large scale, and forgeries of documents. According to the Ukrainian Truth, it is about the erstwhile Head of the Military-Technical Policy Department, the improvement of Arms and Equipment of the Military Ministry of Defence of Alexander Liewa and 2 erstwhile heads of the arms company, Denis Charytonov and Alexander Nakoneczny. According to the investigation, Liew, in office from 2022 to 2023, concluded a contract for the transportation of anti-tank weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The lawyer General explained that the ultimate Anti-corruption Court had already applied preventive measures in the form of bail of 908,4 1000 UAH and 575,32 1000 UAH to suspects – erstwhile heads of defence company. On the another hand, an application for a precautionary measurement in the form of bail of USAH 5.011 million was submitted for a erstwhile authoritative of the Ministry of Defence.
Liew himself denies the charges. In a comment to the Ukrainian Truth, he stated that he had headed the aforementioned department since August 2022, while the agreement in question was concluded in March 2022 and its quality was confirmed by the applicable committee.
"On June 23, 2022, a full payment was made for these rocket launchers. On 18 August, a fewer days before my appointment as commander, this product arrived and was picked up by a military unit consisting of a commission of 5 officers, arms specialists who inspected each of these devices and compiled a protocol stating that all goods correspond to the first category of quality, meet the conditions of the state contract and are fit for use.
In October, I signed (as head of the department) the accounting study of the admission and transfer. This is simply a standard paper confirming the transaction. I signed it on the basis of a request for a commission of gunsmiths to comply with the terms of the contract.
I'm certain the investigation will explain. I'm ready to cooperate. I am full convinced that I have acted in accordance with the law and I am ready to prove my legitimacy by legal means” – explained erstwhile Ministry of Defence official.
