A payroll record in rubles served as evidence against a Kherson official

A court sentenced a Kherson official—who served as deputy head of the labor department during the occupation—to nine years in absentia. One piece of evidence was her signature on a payroll record in rubles.

This is stated in the verdict of the Kherson City Court.

According to the court, no later than September 2022, the woman accepted the occupiers’ offer and became deputy head of the “Department of Labor and Social Policy” in Kherson. This department was created by the Russians, so the court deemed it illegal.

Such work falls under the article on collaboration with the occupiers. It applies to those who voluntarily hold leadership positions in bodies created by the occupying authorities.

The woman is a citizen of Ukraine and was born in Kherson. She had no prior criminal record.

The court first heard testimony from witnesses who had worked in this department. According to them, the defendant held meetings with department heads and monitored employees. Three witnesses also identified her from photographs as the deputy head.

Investigators found documents on the department’s premises, including a job description bearing her signature in the position of “deputy head of the department.” There is also a payroll record dated September 7, 2022, where employees signed for their salaries in rubles. The woman was listed as No. 2 on the record. A handwriting expert confirmed that she was the one who signed both documents.

As a result, the court sentenced the woman to 9 years in prison. For another 14 years, she will be barred from working in government agencies, local government bodies, and enterprises and institutions that provide public services.

The court also ordered the confiscation of all her property. In addition, she must pay the state 5,348 hryvnias and 40 kopecks for the forensic examination.

The prosecutor had sought a 10-year prison sentence and a 15-year ban. The defense attorney argued that the woman was not guilty and requested her acquittal.

Ірина Глухова