Former head of Vytautas DSA released from liability for corruption

The former head of the Vitovskyi district state administration, Yuriy Dziuba, who was suspected of illegally receiving budget funds, avoided a criminal conviction. At the same time, the issue of returning the compensation paid may be considered in a civil proceeding.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

As follows from the case file, after the administrative reform and reorganization of district state administrations in March 2021, Dziuba was dismissed from the post of head of the Vitovskyi District State Administration. After that, he himself drew up and signed a document on the termination of his own powers, in which he provided for a severance payment in the amount of a six-month average salary.

According to court documents, he currently holds the position of deputy director of the municipal specialized installation and maintenance enterprise of Mykolaiv City Council.

The investigation claimed that the former official was aware that his dismissal was due to reorganization, but used a different legal provision in his administrative documents that allowed him to receive a larger amount of compensation. This, according to law enforcement, was the basis for the payment.

The court materials indicate that the draft order probably did not undergo the necessary approvals and legal review in the structural units of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration. After the document was finalized, it was sent to the accounting department with a request to make the payment. The chief accountant, unaware of any possible violations, made the payment.

As a result, according to the investigation, the former head of the DSA was paid more than UAH 118 thousand, which became the subject of criminal proceedings.

During the trial, Dziuba asked the court to release him from criminal liability due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The defense supported this motion. The prosecutor did not raise any objections, and the representative of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration left the matter to the court's discretion. At the same time, the injured party announced its intention to seek civil damages.

The court concluded that the incriminated offense was a minor crime, and more than five years had passed since its commission. The court also took into account that the defendant did not evade the investigation and did not commit new offenses, so there were no grounds for extending the statute of limitations.

As a result, the criminal proceedings were closed and the former official was released from criminal liability. The civil claim for damages was left without consideration, but the injured party may file a separate claim with the court.

Also in Mykolaiv, the head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Mykolaiv City Council, Iryna Bondarenko, was suspended from her post. She is suspected of organizing a scheme for fictitious employment of persons liable for military service.

Анна Бальчінос