Prosecutors from the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor’s Office have sent to court a case against an official from the regional office of the State Emergency Service, who is accused of abuse of office and purchasing substandard equipment.
As the regional prosecutor’s office press service reported, in 2022 the deputy head of a unit, together with his superior, arranged the purchase of 1,730 sets of radiation, chemical and biological protection. The total value of the contract exceeded 14 million hryvnias, and the set included a protective suit, boots, gloves and a special case.
During an inspection, it emerged that the purchased items did not meet state standards: the visor glass in the protective suits was defective, and the seams did not have the required strength.
The accused, who chaired the defence procurement commission, knew that the necessary quality certificates were missing. Despite this, he did not send the items for testing of their protective properties and insisted on choosing this particular supplier.
On the basis of that decision, the head of the unit signed the contract and transferred more than 14 million hryvnias to the company.
In February, the suspects were formally notified of suspicion. To cover the losses, law enforcement officers have already seized the official’s property worth 2.3 million hryvnias, while the materials relating to his former superior have been separated into a separate court case.