19 November, 2023
Millions for the wrong purpose: suspicions for the leadership of the State Intelligence Service
Head of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection Yuriy Shchygol and his deputy Viktor Zhora’s suspicions of embezzlement of state funds were handed over.
The investigation assumes they stole over 62 million hryvnias from the state treasury.
In 2020, the suspects developed a scheme to embezzle funds allocated to purchase equipment and software.
They involved controlled companies and made monitoring impossible by keeping the procurement secret. This is how it was possible to avoid open auctions.
As reported, NABU, a state-owned enterprise subordinate to the State Special Communications Service, concluded contracts for the supply of services for over 285 million. But listed them as intermediate companies in 2021-2022. The actual cost of the software was equal to 223 million. The difference in cost is 62 million, which ended up in the pockets of Shchygol and Zhora.
The Cabinet of Ministers has already dismissed the head of the State Intelligence Service and his deputy.
This is a classic scheme of embezzlement of public funds. State secrecy is a huge window of opportunity for Ukrainian official’s corruption. It is a remnant of the Soviet Union, which does not meet international standards.
It weakens the defense capability of the country, therefore NAKO traditionally emphasizes the openness and transparency of public procurement.
We will remind you that NAKO published 35 main measures of the State Anti-corruption Program for 2023-2025 (SAP) in the defense sector and identified the factors that will have a key impact on the success of their implementation.
https://nako.org.ua/en/news/milioni-ne-za-priznacennyam-pidozri-dlya-kerivnictva-derzspeczvyazku
Newsessentials Blog 
Posted on June 26, 2024
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