The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine (PGO) has approved an indictment on a criminal case against five members of a criminal group (the case on ambulance cars for the Emergencies Ministry of Ukraine that were purchased by the government headed by former Ukrainian Premier Yulia Tymoshenko).
The media liaisons department of the PGO said that in 2007-2010 an organized criminal group of officials from the Emergencies Ministry appropriated funds in especially large amounts that were allocated for the purchase of 27 ambulance cars. The country’s losses caused by the activities of the group are estimated by UAH 33.8 million.
During the pre-trial investigation, property of the accused people worth over UAH 29 million was arrested.
The organizers of the crimes are under detention. The criminal case has been sent to Kyiv Court of Appeals for determination of jurisdiction, said the PGO.
As reported, the PGO filed a lawsuit against lawfulness of the instructions of the Emergencies Ministry fated November 12, 2009 on the selection of the winner of a tender for supplies of 27 ambulance cars and against lawfulness of the results of the tender, according to which Lakshmi Auto Ltd. was declared the winner of the tender, to receive from the company compensation of more than UAH 21 million.
Earlier, the media reported that on February 4, 2011 a former deputy head of the Material and Technical Provision Department of the Emergencies Ministry of Ukraine was detained. The PGO accused him of abuse of office during organization of a procurement of 27 ambulance cars for the Emergencies Ministry, which caused damage to the state in amount of around UAH 15 million.
In July 2011 Kyiv Court of Appeals upheld a ruling of the Economic Court of Kyiv, which declared invalid the results of the tender for the purchase of 27 ambulance cars for the Emergencies Ministry, as well as ruled to withdraw a compensation of UAH 21.5 million in the interests of the state.
The case was opened under Part 5 of Article 191 (appropriation, embezzlement or appropriation via abuse of office) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigatory department of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine investigated into the case.
