Ukrainian MP involved in military jackets corruption scandal

A relative of a member of Ukrainian parliament from the Servant of the People, the ruling faction, turned out to be a co-owner of a company embroiled in a corruption scandal regarding the overpricing of military jackets procured for the Ukrainian army.

26-year-old Oleksandr Kasai, the nephew of Hennadii Kasai, who is a member of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee on national security, defence and intelligence, is believed to have profited from selling military jackets through an allegedly Turkish company.

The new facts have been revealed in an investigation by Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news media outlet, and the Anti-Corruption Action Center, a Ukrainian non-profit focusing on corruption investigations.

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Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, Oleksandr Kasai was the director of a sports palace of the Motor Sich company, previously owned by Vyacheslav Boguslaev, suspected of high treason.

The corruption scandal started earlier this month, when Mirror of the Week, a Ukrainian news media outlet, revealed that the price of military equipment purchased by the Ukrainian defence ministry last year had tripled during delivery.

In particular, in autumn 2022, the ministry signed a contract with Vector avia hava araçlari, a Turkish company, for the supply of winter clothing and imported 233,000 military jackets worth USD 20 million and 202,000 trousers worth USD 13 million by December.

While the price for winter clothing was reasonable, the newspaper pointed out the jackets were actually for the summer, not the winter.

"On the way between Turkish and Ukrainian customs, the jackets magically transformed from 'camouflage' to 'winter air protection' and gained in value from USD 29 to USD 86 per piece," the publication read.

Vector avia hava araçlari was founded in June 2021, and until February this year, Oleksandr Kasai was listed as its co-owner. He received USD 30 million from the Ukrainian defence ministry for the purchase of summer military jackets instead of winter ones.

Hennadii Kasai told Ukrainska Pravda he has no relation to the Turkish company and did not know that its owner was his nephew until a certain point.

"I don't work for the defence ministry. We do not recommend who to buy from or work with. I don't see any conflict [of interest] in this matter," he said.

Oleksandr Kasai did not respond to journalists' inquiries.