Detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine served a notice of suspicion to the head of the education department of a district state administration (DSA) in Kyiv and the head of a utility company of misappropriation of local budget funds totaling almost UAH 4 million and forgery of official documents.

It has been established that officials of one of the district state administrations, acting in prior conspiracy with officials of a utility company after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian federation in 2022 issued knowingly false official documents on the fulfillment of the terms of the contract for the supply of food services to children.

Detectives of the ESBU established that DSA transferred funds to the utility company on the basis of acts of completed works drawn up even before the relevant contract was concluded. And catering services for 30 capital educational institutions were not provided at all during the mentioned period.

Thus, abusing their official position the mentioned persons wasted the funds of the local budget of territorial communities of Kyiv for a total amount of almost UAH 4 million.

Following the investigation based on the evidence collected the offenders were served a notice of suspicion of committing criminal offenses under Part 5 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (misappropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of office), Part 2 of Art. 2 of Art. 28 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (committing a criminal offense by a group of persons by prior conspiracy) and Part 1 of Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (drawing up, issuing by an official of knowingly false official documents, entering knowingly false information into official documents). The issue of choosing a type of detention for the suspects is currently being decided.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is carried out by detectives of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine under the procedural supervision of prosecutors of the Prosecutor General's office.

Note: Pursuant to Art. 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proved by law and established by a court verdict of guilty.