Position: Head of the Education Department of the Kropyvnytskyi City Council.
Sphere of corruption: education.
Region of corruption activity: Kropyvnytskyi.
Qualification: according to the police, the suspects embezzled over 3.5 million hryvnias. They were informed of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 3 of Article 28 — commission of a criminal offense by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy; Part 5 of Article 191 — appropriation or embezzlement of property through abuse of official position (punishable by imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions for up to 3 years); Part 1 of Article 366 — official forgery (punishable by a fine or restriction of liberty for up to 3 years with a similar ban).
In November 2023, Larisa Kostenko was informed of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 28 "Committing a criminal offense by a group of persons in advance of a conspiracy, organized group or criminal organization."
And part 2 of Article 364 "Abuse of power or official position."
Status: preventive measure in the form of 363,360 UAH bail.
The plot of the case: the head of the education department of the Kropyvnytskyi city council, her subordinate, as well as the co-founder, director and accountant of the contractor are suspected of embezzlement of budget funds on a particularly large scale and official forgery. This was reported by the spokeswoman of the regional prosecutor's office, Olesya Panchenko, on March 18.
The investigation found that from October 2019 to June 2024, the suspects entered false data into official documents. According to the National Police, the heads of contracting organizations artificially increased the number of days within the heating season during quarantine restrictions and martial law, despite the fact that educational institutions were closed. This led to an overestimation of the amount of energy consumed and, accordingly, the amount of payments. City Council officials signed documents with fictitious data.
An organized group of officials and representatives of commercial structures was exposed by operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department in Kirovohrad region together with the SSU. Five people are suspected.
The consumption volumes were systematically exceeded, which led to an increase in budget expenditures. For this purpose, additional agreements were concluded, and officials signed documents on the basis of which the contractor received funds from the budget. These funds were later distributed among the participants in the scheme. According to the police, the suspects embezzled more than 3.5 million hryvnias. They were notified of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: Part 3 of Article 28 - commission of a criminal offense by a group of persons in a preliminary conspiracy; Part 5 of Article 191 - appropriation or embezzlement of property through abuse of official position (punishable by imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions for up to 3 years); Part 1 of Article 366 - official forgery (punishable by a fine or restriction of liberty for up to 3 years with a similar ban).
Judge Lesya Haupsheva decided to apply a preventive measure to the suspect in the form of a bail of 363,360 hryvnias. The suspect must pay the money within five days. In addition, she was obliged to appear before the investigating prosecutor upon first request, not to travel outside the region without his permission or the permission of the court, and to notify them of any change of residence or place of work.
According to Larisa Kostenko, she will appeal the decision on appeal: "I will appeal this decision in the appellate court. I think that my son's siblings, like the first time, will look for money to post bail."
Persons potentially involved in corruption schemes: the names of the suspects are not officially disclosed, but it is known that in addition to the head of the education department of the Kropyvnytskyi City Council, Larisa Kostenko, her subordinate, as well as the co-founder, director, and accountant of the contractor company, were also suspected.
All of them are suspected of embezzlement of budget funds on a particularly large scale and official forgery.
Assets: Head of the Kropyvnytskyi Education Department Larysa Kostenko, who is suspected of embezzlement of budget funds, official forgery, and abuse of office, did not declare a single real estate object in her 2024 declaration, although last year she listed 11 such objects.
This became known from Larisa Kostenko's declaration for 2024, published in the state register on March 25.
In the declaration for 2023, which the Public analyzed on March 19 — the day after the second suspicion was announced to her — Larysa Kostenko indicated that she jointly owns a house, an apartment, and a land plot in Kropyvnytskyi, land plots in the villages of Berezhynka and Oboznivka, Kropyvnytskyi district, as well as six land plots in the city of Tokmak, Zaporizhia region. In total, there are 11 real estate objects. The new declaration indicates that on May 25 and October 11, 2024, five and six gift agreements were registered, respectively, that is, all objects were alienated.
The Audi Q5, which Larysa Kostenko purchased in 2021 and listed as her property in her previous declaration, now belongs to her son Denis. She uses this car, as well as another car listed in the declaration.
Unlike the 2023 declaration, in which she indicated cash savings of 100,000 hryvnias and 5,000 euros, there are no such savings in the 2024 declaration. Only pension savings were declared - 240,635 hryvnias.
The income section indicates 572,553 hryvnias in salary received from the Kropyvnytskyi City Council, as well as 42,247 hryvnias in salary from the Volodymyr Vynnychenko Central Ukrainian State University, where Larysa Kostenko works part-time.
Scandals: In addition, the head of the education department of the Kropyvnytskyi City Council, Larysa Kostenko, is suspected of abuse of office during the purchase of electricity in 2021. In November 2023, she was charged under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigation established that she, together with an accountant, paid for electricity that was not actually consumed by educational institutions, which caused losses to the community of almost 600 thousand hryvnias. On November 15, 2023, the Kirovsky District Court of Kropyvnytskyi considered the issue of choosing a preventive measure. Larysa Kostenko participated in the meeting online because she was in the hospital. She denies her guilt, explaining that there was an overpayment under one contract, which was later returned, and that no damage was caused. She also denies any intent or connections with other suspects.
At that time, the court did not remove Kostenko from office and did not choose a preventive measure. However, on December 6, the Kropyvnytskyi Court of Appeal did remove her from her position during the pre-trial investigation and set bail in the amount of 107,600 hryvnias. In addition, the head of the education department of the Kropyvnytskyi City Council, Larysa Kostenko, is suspected of abuse of office during the purchase of electricity in 2021. In November 2023, she was charged under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The investigation established that she, together with an accountant, paid for electricity that was not actually consumed by educational institutions, which caused losses to the community of almost 600 thousand hryvnias.
On November 15, 2023, the Kirovsky District Court of Kropyvnytskyi considered the issue of choosing a preventive measure. Larysa Kostenko participated in the hearing online because she was in the hospital. She denies her guilt, explaining that there was an overpayment under one contract, which was later returned, and that no damage was caused. She also denies any intent or connections with other suspects.
At that time, the court did not remove Kostenko from her position and did not choose a preventive measure. However, on December 6, the Kropyvnytskyi Court of Appeal did remove her from her position for the duration of the pre-trial investigation and set bail in the amount of 107,600 hryvnias.
Persons who should have reacted: in the case of Kostenko, law enforcement officers reacted in a timely manner.
Sources:
https://public.nazk.gov.ua/documents/2579b2a3-e7db-4076-8b02-63c17d4c8d89