Mykolaiv Director Sentenced to 1.5 Years Probation for ₴44K Embezzlement

The director of a municipal enterprise in Mykolaiv region pleaded guilty to embezzling budget funds. He was sentenced to 1.5 years of probation and banned from holding public office.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Voznesensk City District Court of Mykolaiv Region.

The defendant in the criminal proceedings, a German-born citizen of Ukraine, who served as director of the municipal enterprise Sanitary Cleaning of the City of Voznesensk City Council since January 2022, pleaded guilty to the misappropriation of budget funds.

According to the case file, in January 2022, the director of the enterprise received copies of the man's passport and identification code, on the basis of which he developed a criminal plan. The goal was to misappropriate the funds of the utility company by entering into civil law contracts with a fictitious service provider. Despite the fact that the man was not an employee of the enterprise and did not provide services, the accused ordered to charge him with salary, causing losses to Voznesensk City Council totaling UAH 44 thousand 118.

During the trial, the defendant fully admitted his guilt. He stated that he was aware of the unlawfulness of his actions and repented of his actions. In addition, he compensated the city council for the damage caused, which was the basis for the plea agreement.

At the end of March 2025, the prosecutor and the accused entered into an agreement under which he was sentenced to five years in prison. However, taking into account Articles 75 and 76 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the main sentence was suspended, and the defendant will be on probation for 1.5 years. In addition, the former official was banned from holding positions in state and local government for one year and six months.

Also in Mykolaiv region, a corruption scheme in the education sector was exposed: the former head of one of the departments allegedly misappropriated almost UAH 3 million allocated for teachers' salaries. As part of the criminal proceedings, the court allowed investigators to access bank records.

In addition, a local businesswoman was recently found guilty of negligence for failing to control the overhaul of a school, which led to the embezzlement of budget funds. The court fined her and sentenced her to a two-year suspended sentence.

Анна Бальчінос