Substandard shelters for schools and military: 47-million-hryvnia scheme has been uncovered. PHOTOS
Participants in the scheme embezzled over 47 million hryvnias of public funds during the procurement of modular shelters for schools, communities and military units. They supplied protective structures that did not comply with state building regulations.
The scheme was uncovered by detectives from the Main Detective Division of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine, in collaboration with the National Police of Ukraine, reports Censor.NET.
Details
As part of the pre-trial investigation, ten individuals have been notified of the charges against them. Among them are the heads of companies that manufactured and supplied the modular shelters, as well as local government officials responsible for procurement.
The investigation has established that the suspects supplied shelters to communities in the Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The protective structures were procured for schools, other educational institutions and four military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Officials classified the shelters as goods, even though, based on their characteristics, they are classified as construction projects. The law sets out specific requirements for the design and commissioning of such projects.
Furthermore, the tender documentation contained conditions that could have restricted competition among bidders. As a result, local communities received shelters of substandard quality, and the state suffered losses amounting to over 47 million hryvnias.
Ten suspects have been served with notices of suspicion. They face up to twelve years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.
