NABU completes investigation in Ukroboronprom case

"The department of internal control of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has completed the investigation into the facts of possible unlawful actions by NABU employees, the information about which is contained in correspondence made public in a video of the Bihus.info program," the statement reads.

It notes that the findings of the investigation were provided to the disciplinary commission that will decide there was a disciplinary offense in the actions of a NABU employee.

The bureau recalled that this official investigation was launched on March 5 at the initiative of NABU First Deputy Director Gizo Uglava.

The report specifies that at the time of the investigation, the director of the bureau, Artem Sytnyk, suspended from the performance of official duties three NABU employees mentioned in the correspondence that was made public by the journalists, namely the head of the main unit of detectives and two detectives of the same unit.

"The department of internal control will inform the State Bureau of Investigations and the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption about the results of the official investigation," the NABU said.

In addition, the bureau added that the official investigation had been carried out by five detectives of the department of internal control who, among other things, conducted 23 interviews, including with former NABU employees, which helped recreate events that occurred two years ago.

"A large volume of documents has been processed: more than 1,000 sheets of official investigation files," the report reads.

In particular, during the official investigation, the detectives checked the correspondence of NABU employees with the Ukroboronprom State Concern and Optymumspetsdetal; the concealment of correspondence materials; possible disclosure by NABU employees of the correspondence data to third parties; possible receipt of gifts; possible unlawful actions during the investigation of the case regarding PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia, the NABU said.

The investigation conducted by Bihus.info journalists concerned abuse and corruption during the procurement of spare parts for military hardware by the Ukroboronprom State Concern through an intermediary company - Optymumspetsdetal.

On March 11, in the fourth part of the Bihus.info investigation, employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Military Prosecutor's Office, the State Fiscal Service and the NABU helped Andriy Rohoza, the founder of the company, to close criminal cases and resolve problem issues.

Journalists received the correspondence according to which Optymumspetsdetal owner Andriy Rohoza and his partner Vitaliy Zhukov allegedly gave bribes to law enforcement officers for the closure of criminal cases. In particular, the correspondence mentions several NABU employees, as well as a man who is called a NABU freelance agent - Yevhen Shevchenko.

It was noted that the NABU, among other things, issued a certificate to Optymumspetsdetal stating that NABU detectives did not include the company in the list of fictitious companies.

After the publication of the video, the NABU said that it had begun an official investigation into the mentioned facts.

On April 23, the State Bureau of Investigations was conducting searches at the NBU premises in the case on embezzlement at Ukroboronprom.

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