Ukrainian anti-corruption court convicts three former officials over diversion of 251 million hryvnias for body armor
Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court convicted three former officials and the former head of a charity over the misuse of 251 million hryvnias allocated in 2022 for body armor for the armed forces. No body armor was delivered. The court imposed prison sentences of 7 to 10 years and ordered two former officials to jointly pay more than 296 million hryvnias in damages.
L'essentiel
- The court convicted three former officials and the former head of a charity in the body armor procurement case.
- 251 million hryvnias were allocated in 2022 for body armor for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- No body armor was delivered with the funds.
- The former director general of the state enterprise Ukrpatent received a 10-year prison sentence, a three-year ban on public office and confiscation of all his property.
- The former acting deputy secretary of the Economy Ministry received a seven-year prison sentence, a three-year ban on public office and confiscation of half his property.
- The former charity head was sentenced to eight years in prison, banned from management and administrative posts for three years and had all property confiscated.
- The former Ukrpatent director and former Economy Ministry official were ordered to jointly pay more than 296 million hryvnias in material damages.
Pourquoi c’est important
The ruling addresses the diversion of 251 million hryvnias earmarked for protective equipment for military personnel, with no body armor delivered. It also reinforces accountability for corruption linked to defense procurement and creates a significant financial liability for two former officials.
Ce qui s’est passé
The High Anti-Corruption Court announced its verdict in a case concerning the misuse of 251 million hryvnias allocated in 2022 for body armor for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The court found the former director general of the state enterprise Ukrpatent guilty of misappropriation and embezzlement and sentenced him to 10 years in prison, with a three-year ban on public office and confiscation of all his property. The former acting deputy secretary of the Economy Ministry received a seven-year sentence, a three-year public-office ban and confiscation of half his property. The former charity head was convicted of legalizing criminally obtained property but acquitted of complicity in misappropriation and embezzlement; he received an eight-year prison sentence, a three-year ban on management and administrative posts and confiscation of all property. The court also partially upheld the state enterprise’s civil claim and ordered the two former officials to jointly pay more than 296 million hryvnias in material damages.
Ce qu’en disent les sources ukrainiennes
Ukrainian reporting focuses on the former official positions of those convicted, the criminal provisions applied and the penalties involving prison, bans on public or management posts and confiscation of property. The coverage emphasizes that money allocated for body armor was diverted and that no body armor was supplied, while detailing the civil claim for more than 296 million hryvnias in damages.
Contexte
The funds were allocated in 2022 for procurement of body armor for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In May 2024, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau referred the case to court. The investigation was conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the State Bureau of Investigation.