Experts from the Institute of Forensic Expertise are inspecting the fortifications built on the border with the aggressor country, as well as the engineering structures near the combat zone. They have already identified a significant number of deficiencies in the construction process. This was reported by Deputy Minister of Justice Andriy Haichenko during a national telethon "Unified News."
"Our experts have actively participated in conducting construction-technical and economic examinations during the construction of fortification structures. While our soldiers defend Ukrainian land from the external enemy, we must ensure that the internal enemy, which unfortunately still exists, does not hinder our resistance.
We do this by monitoring the construction — both in terms of cost and quality. Initially, we analyze the documentation to check for any inflation of costs, whether there are any works that are recorded but will not actually be performed, or if there are unnecessary personnel listed for these types of work.
Then, during the construction process, our forensic experts go out, including to the front lines, to the construction of fortifications. We analyze how the construction process is unfolding, the materials used, and whether they meet the standards. We also point out deficiencies when we discover them, and we find a lot. There are a tremendous number of deficiencies in the construction process.
And simply, contractors do not receive payment until all these deficiencies are rectified, until the fortifications meet all requirements or are better than the minimum standards…
These are thousands of examinations that are conducted continuously, and I cannot disclose the exact figure. Typical schemes for theft look like this. Either the contractor inflates the quantity of materials in the fraudulent documentation, or the amount of necessary work in hours or other units. For example, they might claim that one ton of material is needed when only 800 kg is actually required, and that 100 hours of work are necessary when in reality it’s only 80.
We analyze this at the stage of preparing documentation and intervene — we advise regional administrations when attempts to steal on concrete are detected, because for such a fortification of this area and thickness, for example, 20% less concrete is needed.
And the second scheme, unfortunately, concerns quality. This is the worst possible scenario. When unscrupulous contractors try to steal and cut costs by using inferior materials. This results in low-quality concrete and rebar that is thinner than it should be to ensure resistance against shells and drones," Andriy Haichenko explained.