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The Ukrainian authorities have arrested a senior official in the Ministry of Defense on charges of embezzling about 36 million euros that were allocated to purchase artillery shells, the authorities announced, at a time when the country is facing an ammunition shortage.
According to the Public Prosecution, the senior official, whose identity was not revealed, was accused of setting up a system to embezzle budget funds while awarding public contracts worth UAH 1.5 billion, or about $36 million.
She added in a statement that “the embezzlement operations are related to the purchase of artillery shells for the armed forces at inflated prices,” noting that “the director of one of the main departments of the Ministry of Defense was placed in detention after searches conducted by the security services of the accused’s home allowed the discovery of documents confirming illegal activities.”
Rampant corruption scandals in Ukraine have affected many officials in recent months, especially within the army and the Ministry of Defense, and investigations have been opened, especially into the supply of poor-quality ammunition and bulletproof vests, the purchase of food products and uniforms for soldiers at exaggerated prices, as well as the purchase of cybersecurity software.
Source: Arabic
2023-12-23 15:20:29