The National Anti -Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) initiated criminal proceedings against the possible facts of abuse related to the head of the Ministry of Defense Rustem Umerov. According to NABU Director Semen Krivonos, the proceedings were opened on the basis of a statement of probable violations, but it cannot be argued that there are specific perpetrators.
During the Press Conference on February 10, Krivonos noted that the pre -trial investigation was ongoing, and its goal is to determine whether there are crime compositions, as well as whether specific perpetrators are in the case. The NABU Director said that the criminal proceedings were not initiated directly against Umerov, but concerned with possible abuses related to his activities. The initiator of the investigation was the statement of the Center for Combating Corruption (CPC) concerning Umerov's actions on the dismissal of the head of the Defense Procurement Agency Marina Bezrukova. According to the CPC, the decision did not continue the contract with Bezrukaya abuse of office by the Minister of Defense. In response, NABU registered criminal proceedings under Article 364 (2) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - abuse of office. The reason for the investigation was several scandalous reports in the media. On January 24, the sources reported that the Office of the President of Ukraine considers the release of Rustem Umerov because of the accusation of pressure on the supervisory boards of key defense structures and the creation of public conflicts between state bodies responsible for providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
To date, the pre -trial investigation is ongoing, and its results can affect the further fate of the Minister of Defense. At the same time, it is important to emphasize that there are currently no official conclusions about the guilt or innocence of Umerov, since the investigation is still in the process.
