A scheme involving the purchase of drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces worth over 8.5 million hryvnias was uncovered in Chernivtsi
In Chernivtsi, law enforcement officials are investigating a possible scheme involving the embezzlement of public funds during the procurement of quadcopters for military unit A7035. A criminal case has been opened under charges of abuse of office and misappropriation of property.
According to the investigation, in November–December 2023, five contracts were signed with Golovna Manufaktura LLC for the supply of DJI and Autel quadcopters with a total value of over 8.5 million UAH.
The investigation believes that during the preparation of the tender documentation, conditions were created that effectively ensured the victory of a predetermined bidder.
It was also established that several individual entrepreneurs and Minvik LLC may have been used to simulate competition; according to the investigation, they submitted formal commercial proposals without actually conducting any business in the field of quadcopter supply.
According to the conclusion of a forensic commodity examination, the state budget may have suffered losses amounting to over 1.34 million UAH due to the overpricing of purchases.
On January 30, Bohdana Zalishchuk, the authorized procurement officer of the Chernivtsi City Council Executive Committee, was notified of her status as a suspect under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
A pre-trial investigation is currently underway, and the circumstances of the case are being established. In accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court verdict.
Earlier, NABU and the SAPO expanded the circle of suspects in the corruption case involving the Supreme Court
NABU explained how decisions regarding suspects are made.
