The Anti-Corruption Action Centre (ACAC) has filed a report with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) regarding a potential crime committed by Defence Minister Rustem Umierov under the charge of "Abuse of power or official position".

Source: ACAC

Details: The ACAC says that the defence minister refused to implement the decision made by the Supervisory Board of the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) to extend the contract of Director Maryna Bezrukhova for another year.

Umierov also dismissed two Supervisory Board members, Taras Chmut and Yurii Dzhyhyr, who had voted in favour of this decision.

The ACAC cites that "the statute of the Defence Procurement Agency mandates the creation of a Supervisory Board, meaning the Defence Ministry, as the governing body, lacks the authority to deny the extension of the contract with the current director. Under item 7, Article 11–4.1 of the Law on State Property Management, this exclusive competence rests with the Supervisory Board".

Quote from the statement: "Furthermore, Article 6 of the law, which defines the powers of authorised governing bodies, including the Defence Ministry, does not grant the ministry the authority to usurp the exclusive powers of the Supervisory Board.

Therefore, the minister’s decision to refuse the contract extension with the head of the Defence Procurement Agency was an abuse of his granted power and official position. This decision was made intentionally for personal gain, against the interests of the Defence Ministry, and resulted in significant harm to Ukraine’s national interests and defence capabilities."

Background:

• Bezrukova became the head of the Defence Procurement Agency in January 2024. Her contract expires at the end of the week.
• In a column for Ukrainska Pravda summing up the DPA's work in 2024, Bezrukova said the supervisory board – comprising independent members Kateryna Kuznetsova, Lukasz Stoliarski and Patrick Auroy, and state representatives Taras Chmut and Yurii Dzhyhyr – had started working in December.
• Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre, said that in September 2024, Umierov had planned to dismiss Bezrukova and appoint Holos (Voice) party member Oleksandra Ustinova to the position.
• Umierov said that Arsen Zhumadilov, the head of the Ukrainian State Logistics Operator, would be appointed as the director of the DPA.
• Zhumadilov said that he agreed to take over the second company "in this difficult time".
• Bezrukhova announced that she will continue to fulfill her duties.

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