Infrastructure Ministry Deputy Head Arrested For USD 400,000 Bribe. NACB Tells Details Of Case

Law enforcement officials have released the details of the arrest of Vasyl Lozynskyi, Deputy Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure. He was exposed for receiving a USD 400,000 bribe, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NACB) said.

Thus, it is reported that Lozynskyi received USD 400,000 for facilitating the conclusion of contracts for the purchase of equipment and machinery at inflated prices.

According to the NACB, in the summer of 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated UAH 1.68 billion, in particular for the purchase of equipment and machinery to provide the population with alternative sources of light, heat and water supply in the winter period. Then, as the investigation established, a number of officials of the central and regional executive bodies decided to appropriate part of the state funds. To do this, they conspired with a group of intermediaries and ensured the conclusion of procurement contracts at an inflated cost of almost UAH 280 million with pre-determined business entities. Those, as the investigation found out, were supposed to give the above-mentioned amount to civil servants as a "reward" for this.

It is noted that more than 150 NACB employees took part in this operation. A number of searches were conducted, during which UAH 920,000 and USD 38,700 were found and seized in the office of the entrepreneurs. Also, one of the members of organized criminal group, who tried to cross the state border and leave Ukraine, was detained at night.

The investigation is ongoing.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on Saturday, January 21, it became known that the NACB conducted searches and detained Deputy Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Vasyl Lozynskyi.