The Security Service of Ukraine has exposed the misappropriation of budget funds allocated for the improvement of the protection system of one of the military units in Vinnytsia region.

The operatives of the special service established that within the framework of the agreement worth UAH 41 million, concluded in 2017 with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the commercial structure had to build engineering constructions in the military unit. According to the investigation, misappropriation of over UAH 19 million of budget funds took place during contract execution. Businessmen did not perform a significant part of the work provided for in the contract, and supplied construction materials on a smaller scale.

During searches at the residences of the suspects and in the military unit, law enforcement officers found documentation proving the transaction.

Within the framework of initiated criminal proceeding, the military unit head was served notice of suspicion of committing a crime set forth in Part 3 Art. 425 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The organizer of the criminal group, one of the perpetrators and two accomplices were served suspicion notices of misappropriation of property by abuse of office in especially large amounts, legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means, committed by an organized group (Part 5 Art. 191 and Part 2 Art. 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Another perpetrator was served suspicion notice of misappropriation of property by abuse of office in especially large amounts, committed by an organized group (Part 5 Art. 191 and Part 2 Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The issue on choosing a form of detention is being settled.

The investigative actions on establishing and bringing to criminal responsibility all persons involved in the organisation of illegal activity are under way.

Measures to expose illegal mechanism were conducted together with State Bureau of Investigations Territorial Administration in Khmelnytskyi city under the procedural supervision of the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Central garrison of Ukraine.