Zhytomyr college director suspected in UAH 3m scheme
Police investigators in the Zhytomyr region reported suspicions against a 60-year-old director of an educational institution in organizing a scheme to illegally charge salaries from the state budget in the amount of 3 million hryvnias. In a comment to Sospil, the director of the Professional College of the Beauty Industry and Technologies of the city of Zhytomyr, Oleg Starynets, confirmed that he was involved, but said that the case was far-fetched.
Ivanna Siletska, a press officer for the Zhytomyr region police, told Suspilny that, according to the investigation, since April 2022, the director of the educational institution initiated the enrollment of at least 13 people who did not perform their duties and did not appear at their workplaces, but received a salary.
The director of the educational institution personally conducted "interviews", signed applications for employment and issued relevant orders. Employees were formally hired for the positions of production shop foreman, computer science teacher, legal advisor, methodologist and a number of others. The period of their so-called employment lasted from several months to several years. As a result, the state budget suffered losses in the amount of almost 3 million hryvnias
Anna Ostrovska, a spokeswoman for the Zhytomyr Regional Prosecutor's Office, noted that according to the investigation, the employees handed over their bank cards, to which their salaries were credited, to the director of the educational institution.
The director independently withdrew money from various ATMs in the city and disposed of it at his own discretion. During this time, he took possession of funds in the amount of more than 2 million 877 thousand hryvnias.
The director of the institution was informed of suspicion under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 5 of Article 191 "Obtaining someone else's property by abuse of official position"; Part 1 of Article 366 "Official forgery"; Part 4 of Article 358 "Use of a knowingly forged document".
The sanction of the incriminated articles provides for a penalty of imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to 3 years and confiscation of property.
The court placed the suspect under 24-hour house arrest and suspended him from his position.
The pre-trial investigation into the case is being carried out with operational support from the Strategic Investigations Department of the State Security Service of the National Police.
In the photos released by the Zhytomyr region police, there is a man who visually resembles Oleg Starynets — former deputy to former Zhytomyr city mayor Vira Sheludchenko — who currently holds the position of director of the Professional College of Beauty Industry and Technologies of the city of Zhytomyr.
In a comment to the media, Oleg Starynets confirmed that the case concerned him, however, he said that he had not violated anything, and the case against him itself was fabricated.
This case really concerns me — I don’t hide it. There is suspicion, the trial is underway, I was sent under house arrest, not into custody, as law enforcement agencies wanted. I have been on vacation since February 6 — I went on vacation so as not to influence either the staff of my institution or anyone else. Today was the court and I was suspended from my position for 60 days. The investigative actions were on January 20, but only now, after the court refused the law enforcement officers, they decided to take revenge on me by posting a photo. As for the information published by the police about me, I refute it and officially declare that I did not violate any labor, financial, or any other legislation. All of my people are officially registered, I did not force anyone to do anything. Everyone worked — some remotely, some in person. And the fact that they selected those aged 25 and over is something you know is happening in the country right now. All of our employees had to pass the MMC. I couldn't hire them to work in violation of the laws during martial law. They were all registered, they all passed commissions, had all the appointments and went through all the procedures related to the requirements of the TCP.
We will remind, the ex-rector of DonNMU Kondratenko appealed the verdict of the Higher Academic Council.
