12:48 03.11.2017

NABU bought sports suits from 'backpack case' suspect in April – MP Mosiychuk

3 min read
NABU bought sports suits from 'backpack case' suspect in April – MP Mosiychuk

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) purchased 42 sports suits for a total of UAH 204,540 from an individual entrepreneur from Kharkiv, Volodymyr Lytvyn, according to Radical Party MP Ihor Mosiychuk, who published on his Facebook page a scanned copy of the respective specification dated April 10, 2017.

According to the document, sports suits consisting of a Marmot PreCip Jacket and Marmot PreCip Full-Zip Pants were purchased at a price of UHA 4,870. The total cost of UAH 204,540 includes UAH 34,090 in VAT.

Mosiychuk said that in this connection he intends to send a deputy appeal on Friday, November 3, to bring the NABU leadership to criminal liability.

"It turns out that our honest, transparent and non-corrupt NABU purchased sports suits from entrepreneur Lytvyn [who is a suspect in the 'backpack case'). Yesterday [on November 1], during a court session on choosing a measure of restraint for [Interior Minister Arsen Avakov's son] Oleksandr Avakov, a SAPO prosecutor stated that Lytvyn was engaged in fictitious entrepreneurial activity. In this connection tomorrow I will send a respective deputy appeal to Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko with the demand to initiate criminal proceedings against the NABU leadership for the purchase of sports suits from a 'fictitious entrepreneur,'" he wrote on his page on Facebook on Thursday, November 2.

As reported, two individuals detained on October 31 as part of the investigation into the so-called 'backpack case' were notified on the same day of suspicion of committing a crime under Part 5, Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (appropriation, embezzlement or taking possession of property through abuse of power). These two are former Deputy Interior Minister Serhiy Chebotar and Oleksandr Avakov, the son of Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

Later NABU detectives notified the third detainee of suspicion in committing a crime during the purchase of backpacks for the Interior Ministry in late 2014 and early 2015. Bloc of Petro Poroshenko MP Serhiy Leschenko said earlier, referring to his own sources, that NABU detectives had detained in Kharkiv head of IT firm Turboseo Volodymyr Lytvyn, who also runs a company that had to produce a batch of backpacks for the Interior Ministry.

In 2015, the Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal investigation into possible abuse during the purchase of backpacks for the Interior Ministry and the National Guard.

According to media reports, in February 2015, the Interior Ministry concluded contracts with Dniprovend Ltd. for 5,000 backpacks worth UAH 14.49 million and businessman Volodymyr Plihachov for 1,000 backpacks worth UAH 2.1 million.

In June 2015, journalists conducted an investigation saying that backpacks had been purchased through enterprises controlled by Avakov's son, Oleksandr.

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