Former Kherson school principal gave away almost 2.5 million in bonuses

The former director of a Kherson school is suspected of embezzling budget funds on a particularly large scale. It happened during the occupation. Now the woman faces up to 12 years in prison.

According to the press service of the National Police in Kherson region, in the summer of 2022, when the city was under Russian occupation, she illegally paid bonuses to the staff of the educational institution.

Law enforcement officers found that the former director used her authority to issue orders to pay bonuses to 44 employees in July and 12 in August.

The amounts of bonuses varied: the minimum was UAH 2000 and the maximum was UAH 150,000. The total amount of illegal payments amounted to UAH 2.44 million, which was confirmed by the results of a forensic economic examination. Law enforcement officers see signs of embezzlement of budget funds on a particularly large scale in the actions of the 62-year-old woman, especially when the budget funds were supposed to be used as responsibly as possible.

She has now been notified of being suspected under Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for a sentence of up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions.

The police emphasized that this is not the first time the former director has come to the attention of law enforcement. In 2019, a bribery case was opened against her.

Meanwhile, a school principal from Kizomys, who supported the occupation and implemented Russian Federation standards in the educational process, was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Recently, the court sentenced two pensioners for managing occupation schools in Kherson region. These are 64-year-old Olga Zinchenko and 70-year-old Yevhenia Pivnenko. The pensioners headed schools established by the Russian occupiers in Skadovsk district during the occupation of the region. Zinchenko headed an illegal school in the village of Tavria, and Pivnenko was in charge of the occupation school No. 3 in Skadovsk. Both women implemented Russian educational programs and engaged in propaganda among children. The court sentenced them to three years in prison and banned them from holding positions in educational institutions for 10 years.

In addition, a former lyceum director from Kakhovka district, Kherson region, who was engaged in propaganda and helped to implement Russian standards in education, will be tried.

Ірина Глухова