Defective mortar rounds for AFU: Preventive measures imposed on four suspects

This was reported on television by Tetiana Sapian, communications adviser to the director of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), Ukrinform reports.

“Four members of this criminal organization, including the organizer, have been detained. One more suspect is being sought; investigators know his whereabouts, so I believe his detention is only a matter of time. In addition, four servicemen and an employee of a state enterprise have been notified of suspicion. As of today, preventive measures have already been imposed on three of them – detention with the alternative of posting bail, with different multimillion-hryvnia amounts,” she said.

According to the SBI, the court imposed a preventive measure of house arrest on the fourth suspect in this scheme.

“Preventive measures will also be imposed on the other participants in the near future. At the same time, work is ongoing to recover the losses inflicted on the state,” Sapian said.

She confirmed that within the framework of this criminal proceeding, investigators are examining possible links between this scheme and other contracts for the supply of ammunition and other defense products.

“Investigators are analyzing the activities of related companies, previous contracts, and the possible involvement of the same individuals in other procurements. We do not rule out that this scheme may not be an isolated case,” the SBI representative explained.

Answering a question about the liability faced by the suspects, Sapian said that some members of the criminal organization are charged by the SBI with misappropriation of funds on an especially large scale, laundering of criminal proceeds, and participation in a criminal organization.

“This carries a sentence of up to 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property. However, when it comes to servicemen and a state enterprise employee, they are charged with official negligence and other serious crimes that directly affected the country’s defense capability… They may face up to ten years in prison,” Sapian stated.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, the SBI and the Office of the Prosecutor General uncovered the supply of unusable mortar rounds to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with damages estimated at UAH 3 billion.

Photo: State Bureau of Investigation