Ex-National Police officer exposed receiving almost UAH 1 million of improper advantage
On April 15, 2021, the Detectives of the National Bureau jointly with the Internal Security Department of the National Police under the procedural guidance of SAPO served the former Head of the Explosives Department of the National Police with a notice of suspicion of receiving 980 thousand UAH (Part 4 Article 368, Part 1 Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The notice of suspicion was also served to an accomplice in the crime - a private entrepreneur, whose actions fall under Part 3 Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (giving an improper advantage to an official).
The investigation revealed that the ex-officer, being aware of the NPU's need for explosion protection equipment, in the fall of 2016, invented a scheme together with a private entrepreneur to purchase such gear for the units of the Luhansk region police. The appearance of no competition in the tender was artificially given in order to carry out the procurement through negotiations. As a result, the National Police paid UAH 3 million, of which the private entrepreneur transferred UAH 980 thousand allegedly for legal services (which were not actually provided) to the company owned by the NPU officer.
This episode is one of the possible procurement crimes committed by the relevant NPU Department and investigated by NABU.
NABU and SAPO have been investigating the abovementioned facts since December 2018.
According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered not-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.
