In the Khmelnytskyi oblast, 1,730 sets of safety gear, priced at UAH 14 million, were procured for the State Emergency Service, only to be found unfit for use. Law enforcement officials have notified two functionaries of suspected malfeasance.
In the Khmelnytskyi province, 1,730 sets of protective suits, amounting to more than UAH 14 million, were obtained for the divisions within the State Emergency Service, but the received garments proved to be substandard and fail to adhere to stipulated requirements and benchmarks. This signifies both a dissipation of public resources and possible compromises to the well-being of staff during emergency response operations. UNN conveys this information, referencing the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine.
Details
As per the inquiry, the defense acquisition committee essentially functioned as a front, concealing the illicit activity. They secured sets for defense against radiation, chemicals, and biological hazards (including suits, gloves, boots, and containers), which then proved inoperable and have remained in storage. The rescue personnel have not deployed this gear.
The public prosecutor has already served notices of suspicion to the leader of the rapid-response emergency rescue detachment and their second-in-command, in accordance with statutes concerning the misuse of official authority (Section 2 of Article 364 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code). Submissions have been lodged with the court seeking their removal from their responsibilities and the imposition of a precautionary constraint.
The regional chief prosecutor, Anton Kovalsky, underscored that this situation involves not only the wasteful spending of public funds but also potential jeopardizing of the safety of personnel during the resolution of emergency events.
Incidentally, investigators also documented a related occurrence in 2022. In that case, within the Vinnytsia territory, a company from Lviv, in partnership with civil servants from the State Emergency Service, delivered 790 kits at an artificially elevated cost (UAH 8,100 compared to a market rate of UAH 4,417), leading to suspicions against a number of ex-administrators and the company’s director.
We will remind you
At the beginning of February, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) revealed further specifics regarding their investigation into the acquisition of deficient landmines intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which failed to meet necessary technical specifications. Five individuals involved in the criminal enterprise and four figures in the military were apprised of suspicions.