Suspect in PCR test case extradited from Slovakia (PHOTOS)
On August 11, 2023, a suspect in the corruption scheme involving the procurement of COVID-19 PCR tests for Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) was extradited to Ukraine.
Since the exposure of the scheme in June 2022, the suspect (a businessman) has been on an international wanted list. In the summer of 2023, in cooperation with the competent authorities of the Slovak Republic, he was detained and Ukraine's extradition request was granted. Successful extradition of the suspect during the war in Ukraine was made possible, in particular, by effective cooperation with the Office of the Prosecutor General as the central body of Ukraine for the extradition of suspects.
After the detainee is handed over to the Ukrainian side, a preventive measure will be taken against him
According to the investigation, in September-December 2020, Ukrzaliznytsia announced a tender for the procurement of 11,000 COVID-19 PCR tests. Ukrzaliznytsia officials helped a pre-determined company win the tender and agreed to the price one and a half times higher than the market average - UAH 1,280 per test instead of UAH 837 per test.
However, the structural units of Ukrzaliznytsia refused to approve the contract due to the obvious inconsistency of the offered price with the market ones. This eventually prevented the embezzlement of UAH 4.94 million.
In June 2022, NABU and SAPO served suspicion notices on six persons. At the end of October, the list of suspects increased to eight persons.
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.
