Massive scandal in the Ministry of Defense: former advisor and ex-MP exposed in a million-dollar fraud scheme.

Law enforcement officers have uncovered a large-scale fraud involving the procurement of military uniforms. Suspicion has fallen on a former advisor to the Ministry of Defense, a former member of parliament, and his son.

The National Police of Ukraine reported this.

“To seize budget funds through orders for over 1,000,000 sets of clothing for Ukrainian military personnel under contracts signed in 2022 at inflated prices, the former advisor to the ex-deputy minister of defense entered into a criminal conspiracy with a member of parliament from the II–IV convocations,” the statement reads.

It is noted that the son of the deputy and a foreigner are also involved in the scheme. They planned to distribute the more than $10 million gained from the price difference among all participants in the criminal scheme, including former officials of the defense ministry.

According to the National Police, the scheme was organized by a foreigner—a fraudster of international scale—who had previously faced criminal charges in France, Spain, Turkey, and Indonesia. To fulfill the order, he selected a textile holding in Turkey and promised its leaders assistance in obtaining a large defense contract through his connections with influential Ukrainian officials and politicians.

The Turkish side reported that the production of over 1 million sets of military uniforms is valued at $25.6 million and issued a power of attorney to the fraudster to represent their interests.

The intermediary, on behalf of his controlled company, signed five contracts with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine at inflated prices, with a total amount exceeding $35 million.

After that, he signed contracts with the Turkish sewing holding worth $25.6 million. The difference of over $10 million was intended for the personal enrichment of the intermediary, the advisor to the former deputy minister of defense, and the former member of parliament who facilitated these contracts.

It is emphasized that the fraudster transferred an advance payment of $10 million to the Turkish side, but after the delivery of the uniforms to Ukraine, he ceased communication with them and did not pay the remaining amount—over $10 million. Subsequently, these funds were used by the organizer of the fraud for personal purposes.

According to available information, it has been established that the participants of the scheme directed the funds obtained through criminal means towards the purchase of luxury cars and real estate, including abroad.

The police conducted 38 authorized searches at the homes and workplaces of individuals involved in the crime, during which documents, vehicles, mobile phones, and computer equipment containing evidence of criminal activity were seized.

“Investigators from the National Police have gathered sufficient evidence to notify the advisor to the ex-deputy minister of defense, the former member of parliament, and his son of suspicion for fraud in particularly large amounts committed by a group of individuals (Art. 28, Part 4 of Art. 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The issue of imposing a lien on the property of the suspects is being resolved. They face up to 12 years in prison,” the statement continues.

Background. Earlier, Mind reported that the Ministry of Defense is accused of procuring substandard domestic 120-mm mines. The agency assures that it is investigating the incidents and will replace the Ukrainian shells with foreign ones.