The SBU exposed Cherkasy City Council officials on embezzlement of budget funds allocated for the repair and maintenance of traffic facilities.

Allegedly, in 2019 the head and two deputies of a department of the city council signed a contract with a private company for more than UAH 4m. (USD 142,000). According to the contract, the company had to provide services for repair and maintenance of roads in city of Cherkasy. The offenders embezzled part of these funds.

The contractor, coordinating with the officials, entered inaccurate information about the payment of unforeseen value added tax into the acts of work performed. As a result, almost UAH 700,000 (USD 25,000) were illegally transferred to the offenders’ accounts.

The offenders were served a notice of suspicion of official negligence. The issue of bringing the director of the department to criminal responsibility is also being resolved.

The operation was conducted jointly with the investigators of the National Police under supervision of Cherkasy Region Prosecutor’s Office.