The Ukrainian Agri Council expresses its support for the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi and declares that it considers the charges against him to be groundless and discrediting the NABU investigators themselves and the state authorities in general.

As it became known on August 24, 2023, the First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotskyi was notified of being suspected of committing a criminal offense.

The essence of the suspicion, which was published by the NABU, is that Taras Vysotskyi approved invoices for the purchase of durum wheat pasta for regional military administrations in March-April 2022. The investigation believes that the cost of pasta was overstated and that the state suffered losses as a result of this overstatement.

Having analyzed the prices and conditions of these tenders, the Ukrainian Agri Council declares that the prices were absolutely reasonable, and even lower than the average market prices in the relevant period of time!

Thus, the relevant public procurement was carried out at a price of 55 UAH/kg, with delivery carried out at the expense of the seller, an advance payment of only 30%, and the final payment was made only five months later.

At the same time, on April 18, 2022 (corresponding to the period specified by the NABU investigators), the team of the UAC Charitable Foundation purchased similar pasta products from the METRO international retail chain at a price of 62 UAH/kg to assist the affected Ukrainians, military and representatives of the territorial defense. However, unlike the aforementioned public procurement, the UAC Charitable Foundation was forced to pick up the products by itself, paying extra for their transportation, and made a 100% prepayment.

Taking into account the above, the UAC considers the relevant accusations against Taras Vysotskyi to be absolutely groundless, supports his decisions as those that were made in the interests of the state and society, testify to his high professionalism and allowed to effectively ensure food security in the regions that needed immediate food assistance in the first months of the full-scale invasion.

The Ukrainian Agri Council also considers it unacceptable that such far-fetched criminal cases have emerged at a time when the Ukrainian agricultural sector is in particular need of protection in the international arena and support from world leaders in continuing to export domestic agricultural products.