Recently, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HCC) decided to release Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, the former head of the Department of State Procurement of the Ministry of Defense, on personal recognizance. Khmelnytskyi is one of the main figures in the case of the purchase of low-quality bulletproof vests, as well as in the scandalous case of the purchase of eggs for 17 hryvnias and expensive Turkish jackets for the Armed Forces.
According to politician Yury Levchenko, such a decision raises serious questions, as Khmelnytskyi is suspected of organizing large-scale corruption schemes. "The release on bail and the easing of the preventive measure indicate systemic problems in Ukrainian justice," the politician emphasizes.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that in the spring VACS already released under similar conditions another official of the Ministry of Defense - Oleksandr Liev, who is also suspected of corruption crimes. "This shows that the system continues to protect corrupt officials," Levchenko emphasizes.
One of the possible reasons for such decisions, according to the politician, is the reluctance to lose witnesses against the former Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov. "Reznikov remains in office despite numerous scandals, and this confirms systemic failures in the fight against corruption in Ukraine," he notes.
Levchenko also draws attention to the fact that suspects, being under personal bond, can easily find ways to leave the country. "This already happened with Vsevolod Knyazev, the former Chairman of the Supreme Court, who claimed that he got to the border zone 'accidentally'," the politician adds.
No less disturbing is the case of People's Deputy Mykola Zadorozhny, who demanded a "kickback" for not obstructing the tender for the repair of the water main. "This once again confirms that even those who are supposed to fight corruption are often themselves part of this system," Levchenko emphasizes.
All these shameful cases testify to the urgent need for changes in approaches to the fight against corruption. "Bail for corrupt officials should be abolished, because such decisions only encourage new corruption schemes," says Levchenko.
The system, according to the politician, needs radical changes so that the corrupt cannot use their positions and continue to live on the money stolen from the Ukrainian people. "This requires not only legislative efforts, but also a sincere desire to change the situation for the better," concludes Yuriy Levchenko.
