Overpayment of over UAH 3.4 million on optics for the Armed Forces of Ukraine: four defendants will be tried in Poltava

In Poltava, a pre-trial investigation into the alleged embezzlement of budget funds during the purchase of optical equipment for the needs of the Defense Forces has been completed. An indictment has been sent to court against four people, including three officials of the Poltava City Council and the former head of the supplier company.

This was reported by the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in the Poltava region.

According to the investigation, in 2023, one of the departments of the Poltava City Council concluded a contract for the purchase of 165 units of special optical equipment, including monoculars, sights and night vision devices, for the amount of more than 18 million UAH.

BEB detectives established that officials of the local government body, acting in prior collusion with the head of the supplier company, allegedly artificially inflated the cost of the equipment. As a result, according to the investigation, the local budget suffered losses of over UAH 3.4 million.

In addition, law enforcement officers claim that official forgery occurred. According to the investigation, one of the officials signed acts of full execution of the contract and acceptance of the goods, although 78 units of equipment had not actually been delivered at that time. It was on the basis of these documents that the full amount under the contract was transferred to the supplier.

As noted in the BEB, due to this, the necessary equipment arrived at the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine only six months after the purchase.

The investigation also believes that the funds received as a result of the overestimation of the purchase price were legalized by the former director of the enterprise by transferring them to the accounts of a controlled company with subsequent withdrawal in cash.

Three officials are charged with abuse of office, official forgery, and issuing knowingly false official documents. The former director of the company is also charged with legalization of property obtained by criminal means.

The pre-trial investigation was carried out by detectives of the BEB with the operational support of the military counterintelligence of the SBU and the Strategic Investigations Department in the Poltava region. The procedural management of the case was carried out by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the field of defense of the Central Region.

The final decision on the guilt of the accused will be made by the court.