Umerov: Any attempts to link my work in Defense Ministry with 'influence' of certain individuals are groundless
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Rustem Umerov, who previously held the position of Minister of Defense, stated that "any attempts" to link his "work in the Ministry of Defense with the "influence" of certain individuals are groundless."
"Any attempts to link my work in the Ministry of Defense with the 'influence' of certain individuals are groundless," he said in the Telegram channel on Tuesday.
As reported earlier today, the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office reported that businessman Timur Mindich, who is the main figure in the investigation into a large-scale corruption scheme in the energy sector, exerted influence not only on Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, who previously held the position of Minister of Energy, but also on Umerov as Minister of Defense. The prosecutor said this during a court hearing on the election of a preventive measure to the former advisor to the Minister of Energy, previously Deputy Head of the State Public Finance Administration Ihor Myroniuk, who is involved in the investigation into the scheme.
Umerov, probably responding to these accusations, stated: "As a minister, I regularly met with manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and weapons, lobbyists, etc. In particular, there was a meeting with Timur Mindich, at which the issue of bulletproof vests under the contract was raised. As a result, the contract was terminated due to non-compliance of the products with the requirements and no product was delivered," Umerov said. "I ask you to verify any high-profile statements and am always ready to provide relevant information and explanations to media representatives," he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Umerov announced the start of a working trip to Turkey and the Middle East to unblock the process of prisoner exchanges within the framework of previously reached agreements. "I just arrived in Istanbul. These days I will work in Turkey and the Middle East in order to unblock the exchange process. There was an agreement – and it must be implemented. The task of the President of Ukraine is clear – Ukrainians must return home from captivity," Umerov said in Telegram channel. He announced meetings in the coming days, "in particular, in Turkey." "The question is precisely this – to resume exchanges," Umerov said.