The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has detained a sitting MP. His name is not being released, but law enforcement sources confirmed to Babel that he is an MP from the “Servant of the People” party Serhiy Kuzminykh.
The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutorʼs Office (SAPO) reports on the details of the case.
According to the investigation, in January 2022, Kuzminykh received UAH 558 000 of illegal profit through a proxy — this is 30% of the amount of the contract for the supply of an ultrasound diagnostic system, which Zhytomyr Hospital concluded with a private company. The funds were transferred to influence hospital officials so that they would recognize this company as the winner of the tender.
In addition, investigators claim that Kuzminykh guaranteed that in the future, for the same kickback, he would provide financing and implementation of two more contracts — for the supply of a magnetic resonance imaging system and laparoscopic equipment. The total amount of these contracts is over UAH 38 million.
The deputyʼs actions are classified as abuse of influence. He faces a fine or 2 to 5 years in prison.
The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) issued a detention order because the MP had systematically failed to appear at court hearings for four years. He explained some of his absences by foreign business trips, most recently to Spain.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutorʼs Office has filed a motion for the Supreme Court to change the preventive measure to detention without bail. The court will consider this today, June 29 at 11:00.
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