₴7 million embezzled in Kryvyi Rih budget scheme

In Kryvyi Rih, suspicion was reported against the director of the city council's municipal enterprise and nine other individuals in a case involving the embezzlement of almost UAH 7 million in budget funds.

This was reported by the regional prosecutor's office.

As the investigation found, the official involved heads of departments of the executive committee and a municipal enterprise, directors of companies, entrepreneurs and an accountant in the criminal scheme. During 2023-2024, based on the results of tenders, the suspects concluded contracts for the maintenance of cemeteries, the transportation of the bodies of deceased military personnel and the repair of public facilities.

When performing the specified works, the defendants provided false information regarding the volume of work performed and artificially inflated the cost of services and materials. Subsequently, budget funds were systematically transferred to the accounts of the companies, which the suspects distributed among themselves.

As a result of illegal actions, the city budget suffered losses of almost seven million hryvnias. Law enforcement officers conducted almost 80 searches. During them, more than one million hryvnias, 68 thousand dollars and 28 thousand euros in cash, mobile phones, bank cards, computer equipment, cars, documentation, and draft notes were seized from the suspects.

Currently, three suspects have been selected as preventive measures in the form of detention without the right to post bail. The issue is being resolved regarding the other suspects. They are charged with taking possession of property by abuse of official position on a particularly large scale, creating, leading a criminal organization, as well as participating in it and official forgery (Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 5 of Article 191, Parts 1, 2 of Article 255, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Recall that we previously reported that a mobilization evasion scheme was exposed in Transcarpathia.

We also wrote that the Ministry of Defense exposed the embezzlement of UAH 733 million.