The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has taken significant action against a senior official of the State Border Guard Service and the owner of a private drone manufacturing company. Both individuals are accused of soliciting a $1 million bribe related to a tender for the supply of drones.
The court ordered the official to be held in custody, with the option of posting bail set at 4 million UAH. The entrepreneur faces similar detention conditions or a bail amount of 44,262,000 UAH.
According to investigators, the official had previously conspired with an accomplice to manipulate the public procurement process for drones, ensuring that a company under their control would win the tender.
However, another firm entered the bidding, proposing to supply 270 drone aviation complexes for 825 million UAH. The accomplice urged the competing firm not to lower its price, citing existing agreements, but the new entrant revised its bid to 760 million UAH, ultimately winning the contract.
Following the failure of their initial scheme, the conspirators sought to profit from the winning company. The entrepreneur attempted to persuade the company’s leader to pay for a “hassle-free” contract signing and execution.
To lend credibility to this demand, he arranged a phone call with a representative from the State Border Guard Service, who falsely assured that all conditions had been approved by the agency’s leadership.
The proposed bribe of $1 million represented 5-10% of the total contract value, with plans to divide the funds among themselves and officials from the State Border Guard Service.
It is important to note that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) announced the uncovering of this scheme on May 29. This was accompanied by searches in several State Border Guard Service units in Kyiv and the issuance of charges against both individuals involved.
The State Border Guard Service has stated its commitment to cooperating with the investigation and expressed interest in an objective inquiry, asserting that the tender process was conducted legally, with the winner being the firm that submitted the lowest price.
The Ukrainian High Anti-Corruption Court has ordered detention for a State Border Guard Service official and a drone company owner over a bribery scheme involving a $1 million kickback for a drone procurement tender. The case highlights ongoing issues of corruption within public procurement processes in Ukraine.