Former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov currently does not have the status of a suspect or witness in the case of embezzlement of state funds related to the procurement of food for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported on the air of Radio Liberty by the head of the first main department of detectives at NABU, Oleksandr Abakumov.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“Currently, the mentioned individual does not have the status of a suspect, and no preventive measures have been applied to him… I would not disclose this information due to the secrecy of the pre-trial investigation, as the pre-trial investigation is not yet complete, and we would not want to comment on this part.”
In response to a clarifying question about the possibility of including Reznikov in the witness lists or summoning him for questioning, Abakumov noted that if there is evidence, other individuals may also be informed of suspicion. He stated:
“If a person commented on or participated in the commission of a crime, their actions will be evaluated. However, for us, it does not matter whether it is a minister, a deputy minister, or another official. At this stage, we have concluded that we have enough evidence to inform five individuals of suspicion. We will continue the pre-trial investigation, gather evidence, after which a decision will be made either to inform additional individuals of suspicion or to conclude the pre-trial investigation and refer this case to court.”
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office reported on April 2 about the exposure of a large-scale scheme of embezzlement of budget funds during the procurement of food for the Armed Forces during the war.
According to the investigation, in 2022-2023, two companies owned by one owner illegally received over 733 million hryvnias through a scheme involving food packages. Investigators indicate that the provision of food to the army occurred through the procurement of so-called packages, which included 409 items, most of which were hardly ordered.
NABU confirmed that five individuals have currently been informed of suspicion in the case, including the former head of the Ministry of Defense department and the heads of supplier firms. Criminal proceedings have been opened under articles related to embezzlement and legalization of illegal income.
In January 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Defense was purchasing food for the military at prices significantly exceeding retail prices. In particular, the ministry bought eggs at 17 hryvnias each, while in stores the price was about 7 hryvnias.
Initially, the Ministry of Defense, then headed by Reznikov, denied information about inflated procurement prices, but later responsible officials were dismissed. The Cabinet of Ministers changed its approaches to defense procurement, as reported by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal at a government meeting on May 9, 2023.