UAH 50 million to be spent on drones thanks to NABU, SAPO
The former deputy head of the State Tax Service in Kyiv, who was convicted by the High Anti-Corruption Court in a case involving attempted bribery of NABU and SAPO executives, has agreed, as part of a plea agreement with a SAPO prosecutor, to transfer UAH 50 million for the needs of the Armed Forces.
Under the agreement, the former official received a 5-year prison sentence with a 3-year probationary period. Additionally, he committed to transferring UAH 50 million to support the United24 Foundation's Army of Drones project.
Moreover, as part of this case, for the first time, the HACC made a decision to pay a reward to a whistleblower in the amount of 10% of the undue benefit. He will be paid UAH 13.3 million.
As of the crime date, this was the largest undue advantage in the history of Ukraine. In June 2020, NABU and SAPO exposed a group of persons, who were trying to bribe the anti-corruption leadership in the amount of USD 5 million. The funds were intended to end the investigation of the former Minister of Ecology, which the General Prosecutor's Office sent to NABU in the fall of 2019.
Last year, the entire sum of the bribe, along with USD 1 million intended for the ex-tax official's 'services,' was transferred to bolster the state's defense capabilities, as per the HACC's decision. Subsequently, the court ruled on the special confiscation of these funds, which makes it impossible for the owner to reclaim them in the future.
The total funds transferred for the army's needs by all the defendants in this case amount to UAH 855.5 million.