There is no systematic corruption in Defence Ministry, but isolated cases – Ukraine's Prime Minister

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said that there is no systematic corruption in the Defence Ministry and that isolated cases are being dealt with immediately.

Source: Shmyhal in an interview with German news magazine Focus, Ukrainian Government website

Details: Shmyhal stressed that the recent corruption scandal in the Ministry of Defence is not a sign of serious structural problems in Ukraine, as such things are not tolerated.

Quote: "Ukraine is completing the development of its anti-corruption infrastructure. The institutions are fully operational, and they check each level for corruption. Due to this war, society has changed and no longer forgives signs of possible crimes. We have zero tolerance for corruption.

The response is immediate. The rapid detention of people suspected of violations demonstrates a change in Ukraine's approach to these issues.

Today, there is no systematic corruption in Ukraine. Individual manifestations of corruption, and I emphasise the word "individual", are not tolerated; they are immediately dealt with."

Background:

• On 21 January, ZN.ua publication reported that the Ministry of Defence bought food for Ukrainian servicemen two to three times more expensive than in Kyiv stores. The Ministry of Defence called this information misleading and manipulative and promised to appeal to the Security Service of Ukraine.
• In mid-January, the State Bureau of Investigation reported that it had blocked a large-scale scheme of food fraud for the military.
• Davyd Arakhamiia, Head of the Servant of the People party faction, has announced that corrupt officials will be held liable and that corrupted staff will be imprisoned in the spring.
• Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov rejected the accusations of the Defence Ministry of corrupt procurement, linked the leaked information to a Ramstein-format meeting, and said that those responsible for the leak would be punished.

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