Searches conducted in France in case of theft of money for bulletproof vests for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

SBU, SBI, and PGO, together with French law enforcement officers, conducted a series of searches in Nice. Investigators are checking whether the defendants in the case legalized money received during the purchase of low-quality bulletproof vests for the Ukrainian military in 2022.

This was reported by the SBU.

According to the investigation, the participants in the scheme received almost UAH 2 billion in budget funds as a full prepayment for 67 000 bulletproof vests for the Defense Forces of Ukraine. However, an independent ballistic examination established that the protective equipment did not meet the declared class.

Law enforcement officers are currently investigating where the money was later directed. In particular, the investigation is clarifying the circumstances of the defendantsʼ purchase of elite residential and commercial real estate in France, which was registered in the name of their family members.

During the searches in Nice, documents, mobile phones and other electronic devices were seized. They were handed over for examination. Real estate and bank accounts of the suspects were also seized in France. At the same time, the criminal case regarding the purchase of bulletproof vests is already being considered by the court.

• On November 11, the High Anti-Corruption Court convicted 3 defendants in a case of embezzlement of UAH 251 million allocated for the purchase of bulletproof vests for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The army did not receive a single bulletproof vest.

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