ARMS SALES ARE PROFITABLE For bureaucrats but not the state

UNIAN reports that the Parliament’s Ad Hoc Commission of Investigation is ready to state that Ukraine’s sale of weapons to Russia in 1992-1996 in accordance with the Treaty on Nuclear Disarmament entailed violations in order to enrich a number of highly placed persons.

This became clear after over a year’s study by London’s Institute of Strategic Studies, which found figures showing that in 1989-1994 Ukraine sold $32.4 billion in weapons and technology to Russia, while officially receiving only $24.3 billion. The Institute thinks the rest was either stolen or sold under the table.

According to Commission data in 1994-1997 the State Export Control Commission issued 6500 licenses for weapons export to 114 firms for a sum of $700 million. During this time, according to the World Arms Market international report, Ukraine sold $2.6 billion in arms, mainly to states of the Near and Middle East, Balkans, and Latin America.

The reason for the discrepancy, according to the Commission, was the lack of copies of the export licenses and concealment from the state of money by commercial structures. Artificially low prices and the lack of timely inventorying also played their role.

Meanwhile, the year before last the National Security and Defense Council ordered the Ministry of Defense to immediately inventory its obsolete materiel, and the order was flagrantly ignored. This year the President has again ordered the Ministry to carry out an immediate inventory.

The Commission reports was not heard in Parliament, but its findings were confirmed. Inter alia, it recommended that the new Parliament set up a similar commission to continue investigating unauthorized arms sales and submit its findings to the President, Prime Minister, and Prosecutor General of Ukraine.