Eurojust announces raids in France as part of an investigation into 67,000 non-compliant bulletproof vests purchased by Ukraine

The investigation concerns losses of more than 53 million euros, according to Eurojust, and suspicions that a former Ukrainian official may have received money for facilitating the contract. The authorities have frozen a property and bank accounts in France; the guilt of the persons concerned has not been established.

French and Ukrainian authorities conducted searches in France as part of an investigation into 67,000 bulletproof vests purchased for the Ukrainian army that did not provide the stated protection, according to a statement published by Eurojust on October 29. The European agency indicates losses of more than 53 million euros and suspicions that money received by a former official of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense may have ended up in real estate investments in Nice.

In brief

1.Ukraine paid in full upfront for the 67,000 vests, and an independent examination carried out after delivery found that the equipment was of poor quality and did not provide the promised protection.

2.Eurojust indicates losses of more than 53 million euros. The amount is presented in the context of the investigation and does not represent damages established by a final conviction.

3.A former official of the Ministry of Defense is suspected of having facilitated the conclusion of the contract in March 2022 in exchange for money from the supplier. Investigators suspect that the funds were invested through another person in real estate in Nice.

4.Franco-Ukrainian cooperation, coordinated by Eurojust, enabled the searches and the freezing of a property and several bank accounts. The measures do not amount to a final confiscation or the recovery of the money.

5.The investigation continues through the examination of the evidence seized. The persons concerned benefit from the presumption of innocence.

The purchase was made after the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, when Ukraine urgently needed protective equipment for military personnel. According to Eurojust, the supplier received a 100% advance payment. The problems were identified after delivery, when an independent assessment showed that the vests did not provide the declared level of protection.

Part of the investigation concerns how the contract was concluded. The former official concerned headed the department responsible for developing the system for supplying materials at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Investigators suspect that he facilitated the contract with the supplier in March 2022 and received remuneration for his intervention.

According to the same source, the allegedly illicit funds may have been invested through another person in properties in Nice. This financial trail brought the investigation to France, where the authorities were able to verify the assets and carry out the judicial measures requested by Ukraine.

Eurojust coordinated the cooperation and facilitated the execution of several requests for international judicial assistance. Ukrainian investigators participated alongside their French counterparts in the operation and supported the questioning of suspects and witnesses. The European agency supports national authorities without itself determining the guilt of the persons under investigation. On the French side, an investigating judge from the Paris court and the Central Office for Combating Serious Financial Crime took part. The Ukrainian side was represented by the Prosecutor General's Office, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the State Bureau of Investigation.

During the operation, a property and several bank accounts belonging to the persons allegedly involved were frozen. Such a measure is intended to keep the assets available to the justice system for the duration of the proceedings. It does not constitute a final confiscation and does not mean that the respective value has been returned to Ukraine.

The cooperation falls within the framework of the agreement signed by Eurojust and Ukraine in 2016. Ukraine has had a liaison prosecutor at the agency's headquarters in The Hague since August 2018, facilitating direct contact with the judicial authorities of other states in cases involving payments or assets located in several jurisdictions.

The next announced stage is the examination of the evidence seized during the searches. This evidence must clarify the connection between the purchase, the allegedly illicit payments, and the assets in France.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/perchezitii-in-franta-intr-o-ancheta-privind-67-000-de-veste-antiglont-neconforme-cumparate-de-ucraina-cu-pierderi-de-peste-53-de-milioane-de-euro