Ex-defense official charged with abuse of power after awarding himself bonuses, extra payments
A former acting director general of a state-owned defense enterprise has been charged under suspicion that the official abused his power in awarding himself 700,000 UAH ($17,000) in bonuses and extra payment during his service, the city of Kyiv's Prosecutor's Office announced on Aug. 21.
The unnamed official allegedly awarded himself the extra financial incentives "for significant contributions to the development of the enterprise," as well as the "diligent performance of official duties and long-term service," according to his accounts of the payemnts, the announcement said.
Prosecutors, however, allege that the accused deliberately used his "official authority for unlawful gain" in accepting the payments.
As a result of the alleged abuse of power, Ukraine's state budget directly suffered the financial losses, prosecutors said.
No additional details were released on the specific case. The accused currently faces one charge under Ukraine's Criminal Code, with a pre-trial investigation.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a number of officials have been arrested with charges related to corruption allegations.
On Aug. 12, Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies announced that a Defense Ministry official was charged with accepting a bribe from a housing developer worth upwards of $1.3 million.
The corruption revelations come weeks after Ukraine's parliament reversed course on the law limiting the independence of NABU and SAPO. Zelensky signed a bill restoring the agencies' independence on July 31, following widespread protests and international criticism over a prior law passed on July 22 that had constrained their powers.
