'Mindich tapes': National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine receives complaint over alleged body-armor scheme at Ministry of Defense

According to anti-corruption activists, the document submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine concerns possible misconduct by officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In particular, it involves DOT, the State Logistics Operator, during tenders for the procurement of body armor. This refers to contracts with the companies Fortress of Defense LLC and Milicon UA LLC.

"This case, as follows from the ‘Mindich tapes’ published by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, was part of the deals being investigated by anti-corruption bodies within ‘Mindichgate’. In particular, former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov appears on the recordings," the Public Anti-Corruption Council at the Ministry of Defense reported.

"The complaint outlines all details currently known to the Council regarding the procurement of body armor from Milicon. This includes the abuses identified during the review of tenders by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission – NAKO," the statement says.

DOT initially recognized Fortress of Defense as the winner despite the company lacking a required license, and then, for unclear reasons, canceled the tender.

For the second time, DOT declared Milicon the winner even though the company did not have its own body armor sample. The signing of the contract was not stopped, even by an order from the State Audit Service of Ukraine and a court ruling in favor of the supplier.

"The coincidence of some violations involving a single supplier occurs far too rarely to consider it accidental," the activists said.

The Public Anti-Corruption Council also handed over information obtained by its members during the analysis of possible connections between the company and Chaim Brenig, a citizen of Israel.

"We expect that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine will properly review the submitted documents, which will contribute to an objective examination of this procurement as part of Operation Midas," the press service concluded.

Milicon earlier explained the disruptions in supplying body armor to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, citing bureaucracy, strict technical standards, and a possible reluctance to allow a foreign manufacturer onto the market.

Regarding the "Mindich tapes," Milicon director Dmytro Stetsenko denies having any contact with businessman Timur Mindich and claims he does not know him at all.