Ukraine has opened an investigation into contracts for the purchase of weapons for its armed forces, Oleksandr Klymenko, head of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP), said on Tuesday, AFP reports.
“There are several procedures related to the purchase of weapons. The investigation is ongoing, we will not reveal the details,” Klymenko told reporters.
It concerns several contracts, some worth up to 100 million euros, he clarified, adding that “the investigation does not necessarily mean” that there was misappropriation of funds.
“We have to conduct an investigation and establish the facts,” he explained, “that’s what we do.”
Klymenko and the head of the parliament’s anti-corruption commission, Anastasia Radina, assured that they had not received any complaints from foreign allies, which supply most of the weapons Kyiv needs to defend against a Russian invasion.
Corruption is endemic in Ukraine and is one of the main challenges of the pre-war government.
Several corruption scandals have rocked Ukrainian officials in recent months, including in the Ministry of Defense.
But the allegations of corruption have never been directly related to military and financial aid provided by the West.
“We constantly tell our partners that if they have information that indicates corruption or misuse of aid, we are ready to make it an absolute priority,” said Klymenko.
Radina, who is also a member of the special parliamentary commission to control the use of foreign weapons by the Ukrainian army, assured in her turn that there are no “confirmed cases of inappropriate use of weapons supplied” by the West.
Ukraine received tens of billions of dollars in aid from its allies, primarily the United States, Great Britain, and the European Union.
Zelenskyi replaced his defense minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, citing the need for “new approaches.”
This happened after a series of accusations in the Ukrainian press, according to which the Ministry of Defense purchases goods at an inflated cost.
Reznikov stated at a press conference in Kyiv a week before his removal that the reports were inaccurate.
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Source: Hot News
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