The Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police have uncovered another scheme of embezzlement of budget funds, which are managed by the Kyiv City State Administration.

According to the investigation, the officials of one of Kyiv’s district administrations misappropriated almost UAH 1.5 million from the city budget, which was intended to repair an underground shelter in a lyceum.

The head of the local education department was involved in organizing the scheme. She engaged the director of an affiliated construction company in the crime.

In the spring of 2022, the official entered into a contract with him for the overhaul of the underground shelter of the educational institution worth almost UAH 4 mln (USD 95,000).

However, during the year of reconstruction, the group stole 38% of this amount.

The official and the contractor artificially inflated the cost of the work and after its completion signed the acts.

To cover up the fraud, another accomplice was involved – a technical supervision engineer who made a fictitious conclusion on the compliance of the funds spent with the repairs made.

A forensic examination confirmed the facts of the crimes committed by the suspects.

The three persons involved have been notified of suspicion under the Articles of the CCU (in accordance with actions each of them carried out):

• 191.5 (misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of office, committed on a particularly large scale, by an organized group);
• 366.2 (forgery in office);
• 367.2 (official negligence).

The perpetrators face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. The investigation is ongoing.

The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in Kyiv and Kyiv region jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of Shevchenkivskyi District Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv.