They embezzled UAH 36 million for equipment for SU-27: New suspicion is served on former head of defense company and his accomplices. PHOTOS

The SSU CI jointly with the BES and in cooperation with the management of JSC "Ukrainian Defense Industry" uncovered new episodes of misappropriation of budget funds for the purchase of spare parts for the Armed Forces of Ukraine combat aircraft - Su-27 and Mig-29.

Censor.NET reports that this was reported by the SSU press service.

This is a criminal scheme that law enforcement officers dismantled in December 2023 at one of Ukraine's defence enterprises.

At that time, the former director of the plant was caught embezzling at least UAH 4 million during the purchase of modules for radar systems for Ukrainian fighter jets.

Currently, law enforcement officers have documented an additional UAH 32 million, which the offender and his accomplices siphoned "into the shadows".

Thus, the total amount of losses incurred by the state is over UAH 36 million.

Theft scheme

According to the case file, the scheme consisted of put on defective parts on the company's books, which were supplied to the plant by "their" companies.

The money paid for these faulty parts was then cashed out and distributed among the participants in the scheme.

New suspicions to former head of SE and 9 accomplices

Currently, the former director of the state-owned enterprise (in absentia), his former deputy, six heads of controlled companies and two other accomplices have been served with notices of suspicion (in accordance with the crimes committed) under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

paras. 2, 3 Art. 255 (creation, leadership of a criminal community or criminal organisation, as well as participation in it);
ч. 4, Art. 28, Art. 191, para. 5 (misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of office on an especially large scale committed by a criminal organisation);
ч. 4, Art. 28, Art. 366 (official forgery of official documents, entering knowingly false information into official documents committed by a criminal organisation);
ч. 4 Art. 28, Art. 209(3) (legalisation (laundering) of the proceeds of crime in particularly large amounts committed by a criminal organisation).

The offenders face up to 13 years in prison with confiscation of property.

"The former head of the state-owned enterprise is hiding from justice outside Ukraine. Comprehensive measures are being taken to bring him to justice for his crimes," the SBU added.

Over the past two years, 10 transactions were carried out for the alleged supply of military equipment to the company worth UAH 36 million, the BES press service said.