SBU exposed heads of structural units of Chernivtsi city council and several commercial structures on embezzlement of budget funds, allocated to damages for public transportation of welfare beneficiaries.

SBU operatives established that officials of housing&public utility and social protection authority set up illegal scheme in conspiracy with management of Infocenter CP, a local private carrier, and companies providing transport and auditing services.

During 2016-2019 the associates intentionally entered in report documentation fake data on virtually conducted travels and number of citizens who used the transfer privilege. In the reports they put numbers twice bigger the real. Thus, the offenders appropriated almost UAH 5,000,000 (USD 208,000) of budgetary funds.

During the searches at the offices of the involved companies and the residences of the 5 suspects, including a chief of one of the departments of the city council, law enforcement seized reports and financial and accounting documents and other materials which proves the illegal activity.

In the framework of criminal proceeding initiated under Part 3 Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the investigations are under way. The issue of serving to involved persons notices of suspicion of committing the crime is now being decided.

The operation was conducted jointly with the National Police investigators under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Chernivtsi region.