Substandard shelters for schools and the military: ESBU uncovers a UAH 47 million scheme

 Over UAH 47 million in budget funds were misappropriated by participants of a scheme during the procurement of modular shelters for schools, communities, and military units. They supplied protective structures that did not comply with state building codes. The scheme was uncovered by detectives from the Main Detectives Department of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine.

Within the framework of the pretrial investigation, ten individuals have been notified of suspicion. Among them are the heads of the enterprises that manufactured and supplied the modular shelters, as well as local government officials responsible for conducting the procurements.

The investigation established that the suspects supplied shelters to communities in Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. The protective structures were procured for schools, other educational institutions, and four military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Officials registered the protective structures as goods, although, by their characteristics, they qualify as construction objects. For such objects, the law mandates separate requirements for design and commissioning. Furthermore, the tender documentation contained conditions that could restrict competition among participants. As a result, the communities received substandard shelters, causing over UAH 47 million in losses to the state.

The issue of choosing preventive measures for the suspects is currently being resolved.

The pretrial investigation is conducted by detectives from the Main Detectives Department of the BES, with operational support from the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine. Prosecutorial guidance is provided by prosecutors from the Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Prosecutor General's Office.

It should be noted that pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court's verdict of conviction.