KYIV: Police have arrested a senior Ukrainian defense ministry official suspected of embezzling 36 million euros for the purchase of much-needed artillery shells in the war against Russia, officials said Friday.
Prosecutors said the official, whose identity they did not reveal, had developed a system under which he bought artillery shells at inflated prices.
“The director of one of the main defense ministry services has been placed in detention,” said the prosecutors’ statement.
Searches carried out at the suspect’s home had turned up documents confirming the scheme, it added.
Ukraine has had to deal with a series of corruption scandals in recent months, including several others within the defense ministry.
Investigators are already looking at the supply of sub-standard bulletproof vests and the purchase of food supplies and uniforms at inflated prices.
At the beginning of August, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky sacked all the officials in charge of military recruitment across the regions to end a system in which some people were being allowed to escape conscription.
The fight against corruption is one of the conditions that the European Union set as a condition for it to examine Ukraine’s application for membership.
European Union leaders agreed last week to open formal membership negotiations with Ukraine.
The country has received tens of billions of euros in aid from the West since the start of the war.
Top Ukraine defense official held over multi-million fraud
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Top Ukraine defense official held over multi-million fraud
- Prosecutors said the official had developed a system under which he bought artillery shells at inflated prices
- “The director of one of the main defense ministry services has been placed in detention,” said the prosecutors’ statement
Czech Prime Minister Babiš faces confidence vote as government shifts Ukraine policy
- “I’d like to make it clear that the Czech Republic and Czech citizens will be first for our government,” Babiš said
- Babiš has rejected any financial aid for Ukraine and guarantees for EU loans
PRAGUE: The Czech Republic’s new government led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš was set to face a mandatory confidence vote in Parliament over its agenda aimed at steering the country away from supporting Ukraine and rejecting some key European Union policies.
The debate in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament, where the coalition has a majority of 108 seats, began Tuesday. Every new administration must win the vote to govern.
Babiš, previously prime minister in two governments from 2017-2021, and his ANO, or YES, movement, won big in the country’s October election and formed a majority coalition with two small political groups, the Freedom and Direct Democracy anti-migrant party and the right-wing Motorists for Themselves.
The parties, which share admiration for US President Donald Trump, created a 16-member Cabinet.
“I’d like to make it clear that the Czech Republic and Czech citizens will be first for our government,” Babiš said in his speech in the lower house.
The political comeback by Babiš and his new alliance with two small government newcomers are expected to significantly redefine the nation’s foreign and domestic policies.
Unlike the previous pro-Western government, Babiš has rejected any financial aid for Ukraine and guarantees for EU loans to the country fighting the Russian invasion, joining the ranks of Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Robert Fico of Slovakia.
But his government would not abandon a Czech initiative that managed to acquire some 1.8 million much-needed artillery shells for Ukraine only last year on markets outside the EU on condition the Czechs would only administer it but would not contribute money.
The Freedom party sees no future for the Czechs in the EU and NATO, and wants to expel most of 380,000 Ukrainian refugees in the country.
The Motorists, who are in charge of the environment and foreign ministries, rejected the EU Green Deal and proposed revivals of the coal industry.
