SBI exposes scheme to sell diesel fuel from aviation brigade in Ivano-Frankivsk region
Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) have uncovered a large-scale scheme to embezzle diesel fuel in a military unit of an aviation brigade stationed in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.
"According to the investigation, the organizer of the criminal scheme was the commander of the material support company. He involved the commander of one of the platoons and a driver in the illegal activity. The perpetrators systematically falsified official documents, writing off fuel allegedly for the needs of performing combat missions, in particular during air raids and aircraft takeoffs," the report on the Bureau’s website said on Tuesday.
According to the SBI, diesel fuel was actually sold in large quantities to local entrepreneurs, including owners of public transport, at a price of UAH 40 per liter. Law enforcement officers recorded the sale of one of the batches in the amount of more than five tonnes.
All three suspects were detained. They were informed of suspicion of misappropriation of military property under martial law, committed by a group of persons in a prior conspiracy using their official position and repeatedly (Part 4, Article 410 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides for up to 15 years of imprisonment. Investigators are preparing a petition to the court to choose preventive measures and remove the suspects from their positions.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Other episodes of fuel theft are being identified and documented.