SBU exposed in Odesa region the misappropriation by the officials of the Ministry of Defence of millions of budget funds allocated for the construction of military camps.

The operatives of the special service documented that the deal was organized by officials of the Southern Territorial Apartment Usage Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in collusion with affiliated commercial structures. During the execution of contract construction works, the officials signed the acts of performed works for the actually unperformed services for the construction of barracks of improved planning. Despite this, they transferred budget funds to businessmen, part of which were appropriated.

As part of the criminal proceedings, SBU officers together with representatives of the Southern Office of the State Audit Service conducted an audit of the construction of two barracks of improved planning in one of the military camps in Chernomorske urban village. Only during the inspection of two barracks the facts of non-performance of works in the amount of more than UAH 11 million were revealed.

Law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in the offices of the commercial structure, the administrative building of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the place of construction of the barracks and at the addresses of the five participants in the criminal proceedings. During the investigation, evidence was seized, including documentation confirming the transaction with budget funds.

The organizer of the corruption scheme, the director of the construction company, as well as two heads of the Southern Territorial Housing Apartment Usage Department have been served suspicion notices.  They are accused of committing crimes as part of an organized group under Part 3 Art. 28, Part 5 Art. 191 and Part 2 Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Investigative actions are underway.

Measures to expose the illegal scheme was carried out jointly with State Bureau of Investigations Territorial Administration in Mykolaiv city under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Odesa region.