You're reading: Prosecutors open criminal case involving vaccine purchases

The Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has launched criminal proceedings against the officials of a company with limited liability, which in 2009 signed with the Ukrainian Health Ministry a contract to supply 450,000 doses of foreign-made vaccines for the prevention of serious diseases.

Investigators established that the vaccines were purchased at inflated prices, the public relations department of the Interior Ministry reported. As a result, the state incurred damage to the tune of more than UAH 50 million, the ministry said.

The criminal case was opened under part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code (misappropriation, embezzlement or abuse of office). The Criminal Code envisages imprisonment for a term of seven to 12 years with confiscation of property for these offences.

The Health Ministry was headed by Vasyl Kniazevych in 2009.