Businessmen charged with trying to steal funds for military aircraft parts
A former director of a state-owned defense company and three others were charged over a scheme to embezzle Hr 3.9 million ($106,500) in funds for Su-27 aircraft parts, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Dec. 8.
Recent months saw upheavals in the leadership of Ukraine's defense sector, intended to stamp out corruption following several military procurement scandals.
According to the investigation, the ex-director signed a contract with the head of a supplier firm, who is also a suspect, to purchase power amplification modules for aircraft radars.
The supplier provided faulty components, but the head of the state company accepted them anyway and paid the first half of the promised sum, the SBU said.
The suspects were allegedly planning to secretly transfer the funds through controlled companies and distribute them among themselves.
Law enforcement agencies exposed the scheme and managed to prevent the participants from stealing the entire sum of $106,500, the SBU reported.
The suspects face up to 12 years in prison.
