Case on suspicion of Odesa MP Kutsenko of fraud sent to court

Detectives of the territorial department of the Bureau of Economic Security in Odesa region have completed a pre-trial investigation against seven members of an organized group who seized local budget funds intended for the implementation of the city's program to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis and drug addiction.

This was reported in the press service of the BES.

According to the investigation, a deputy of the Odesa City Council, in collusion with six people, organized a scheme to misappropriate budget funds. She involved officials of the Center for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS and an employee of the City Council's Health Department in its implementation. We are talking about Irina Kutsenko.

The scheme also involved individual entrepreneurs, including relatives of the suspect, and the director of a municipal enterprise specializing in helping drug addicts.

Having received UAH 7.5 million in budget funding for the program, the suspects entered false information in the reporting documentation:

• overstated the number of people who were allegedly assisted;
• indicated services that were not actually provided;
• reflected fictitious expenses for patients' meals.

"According to the examinations, the losses to the local budget exceed UAH 2 million. In order to ensure compensation for damages, the court seized the real estate and vehicles of the defendants," said Serhii Muntyan, Head of the BES in Odesa region.

The defendants are charged with: misappropriation of property on a large scale by an organized group, abuse of office, legalization (laundering) of the proceeds of crime, and forgery of official documents. The indictment was sent to court.

On June 16, officers of the Bureau of Economic Security served a notice of suspicion to Odesa City Council member Iryna Kutsenko in a case of corruption at the Center for Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS.

Кирило Бойко