Court to hear case over 733 million UAH embezzlement in military food procurement

Case materials referred to court

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) have completed the pre-trial investigation and referred the indictment to court. The case concerns the misappropriation of state funds allocated for the procurement of food products for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Mechanism of price inflation

According to investigation data, the abuses took place between August and December 2022. Two supplier companies, which were under the control of a single owner, received over 733 million UAH in illegal super-profits. This was made possible through manipulations with prices in the food catalogue.

Investigators established that the cost of a food set was calculated based on the average price of all items in the catalogue. This approach allowed the participants of the scheme to artificially inflate the price of the most in-demand goods while simultaneously lowering the cost of products with low demand or seasonal items. A comprehensive product and economic expertise confirmed the amount of super-profits obtained.

Asset stripping and involvement of an official

A portion of the illegally obtained funds was withdrawn from the enterprises under the guise of dividend payments and the provision of reimbursable financial assistance to affiliated companies. According to law enforcement, the owner of these businesses may have used these funds to purchase real estate, specifically hotels in Croatia.

An official from the Ministry of Defence was also involved in the criminal scheme. When concluding contracts, he did not react to price anomalies in the food catalogue.

Reaction to publicity and prevention of new losses

The pre-trial investigation began in January 2023. After publications appeared in the media regarding inflated prices, specifically about the procurement of eggs at 17 hryvnias each, the participants of the scheme reduced the prices of the 11 most in-demand products.

According to law enforcement estimates, these measures managed to prevent the further embezzlement of 788 million UAH from the state budget. NABU and SAP emphasised that the exposure of this crime was made possible with the assistance of the State Audit Service of Ukraine.