Law enforcement officials have notified a former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine of suspicion, whose actions in determining the winning company for the purchase of equipment for the ministry resulted in losses in the amount of UAH 16 million.

"Under the procedural guidance of SAPO prosecutors, NABU detectives have notified a former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine of suspicion, who was caught embezzling millions of funds and receiving illegal benefits," the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said in a statement on Telegram on Friday.

It is reported that during the pretrial investigation it was established that in 2020, one of the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs ensured that a pre-determined company was recognized as the winner of the purchase of video surveillance and access control equipment, which was installed in the buildings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

Despite the fact that the cost of this equipment was significantly overstated, the state institution transferred funds for the equipment, which ultimately led to losses to the institution in the amount of more than UAH 16 million.

During the investigation, it turned out that in order to win this purchase, the entrepreneur, during 2018-2019, through the public organization he headed, transferred four premium cars for free use to the said official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, worth more than UAH 6 million. Subsequently, after the defendant was dismissed from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, these cars were actually transferred to his ownership through a donation agreement.

The actions of the former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are qualified under Part 5 of Article 191, Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigation is ongoing.