Former head of the Ministry of Defense office caught taking a bribe of 1.3 million dollars for housing construction

Investigation completed in the case of corruption in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

According to САП: The investigation into the case against the former acting head of one of the Central Territorial Offices of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has been completed. He is accused of receiving an unlawful benefit of 1.3 million US dollars for the construction of housing for military personnel.

The official was exposed in the summer of 2023 during a competition for the construction of a land plot in the Svyatoshinsky district of the capital. According to the materials of the case, the funds were to be transferred in three tranches:

• the first - 100 thousand US dollars to start the competition,
• the second - 400 thousand US dollars to sign the construction contract,
• the third - 800 thousand US dollars after the completion of the first stage of construction.

The actions of the former head of the office were qualified under part 4 of article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Currently, the indictment against another accomplice of the official is under consideration in the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC). The investigation continues to work on the details of the case, which has caused public resonance due to the significant amount of unlawful benefit.

The importance of fighting corruption

This case highlights the importance of combating corruption in Ukraine, especially in state structures responsible for defense and security. In times of war, the issues of transparency and effectiveness in the use of budget funds are extremely relevant, as they directly affect the support of military personnel and their families.

Such investigations can serve as an important signal of the inevitability of punishment for corrupt actions, which, in turn, can contribute to increasing trust in state institutions among the population.