A corruption deal was exposed, thanks to which prices for certain categories of food products for military personnel were inflated.
This was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) based on the results of an investigation into the purchase of food products by the Ministry of Defense.
We are talking about the purchase of food for the military from February 2022 to June 2023. NABU detectives were able to confirm the existence of a corruption scheme, thanks to which prices for certain products were inflated, and unscrupulous suppliers received excess profits and profited from the army during the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine.
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— The use of the existing procurement system allows suppliers to resort to abuse when setting prices for popular product groups: eggs are sold at exorbitant prices, and salmon or blueberries, which are not seen in the military diet, — at prices several times lower than market prices, — the message says.
NABU did not disclose all the details of the transaction, but reported that to confirm the facts of abuse, detectives seized and checked “huge amounts of documents” warehouse accounting of military units and service recipients.
— Now a number of examinations have been appointed, the collection of additional materials continues, — the message says.
NABU added that in order to eliminate the preconditions for such abuses, the National Bureau formed appropriate recommendations and submitted them to the Ministry of Defense for consideration. They, in particular, provide for strengthening control over the quality of food services, as well as introducing changes to regulations governing procedures.
The anti-corruption bureau also released infographics to better understand how the current procurement procedure for Ministry of Defense products allowed individual suppliers to receive excess profits.
Photo: NABU
Photo: NABU
Photo: NABU
Photo: NABU
Photo: NABU
Scandal with the purchase of eggs for 17 UAH
The scandal with the purchase of food for military personnel began at the beginning of 2023. Then journalists pointed out that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense was purchasing food for the military at inflated prices. Among the things that journalists pointed out, they were talking, in particular, about the purchase of eggs at 17 UAH per unit.
The then head of the Ministry of Defense Alexey Reznikov responded to the information from journalists. His explanation said that the department does not purchase individual products, but orders a food service.
Subsequently, the Deputy Minister of Defense, who was responsible for the logistics support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, resigned, and Reznikov himself announced changes in the power supply system for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
