Odesa exposes scheme of embezzlement of salaries in kindergartens

A court in Odesa has seized documents in the case of embezzlement of salaries in municipal kindergartens in Prymorskyi district. The investigation found that officials of five institutions paid salaries to fictitious employees and misappropriated budget funds.

This is evidenced by the decision of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa.

The court in Odesa considered a motion filed by the Prymorskyi District Prosecutor's Office to seize property as part of an investigation into abuse of power or position.

According to the investigation, officials of several municipal preschool education institutions in the Prymorskyi district of Odesa organized a scheme to misappropriate budget funds. Fictitious employees who did not actually perform work were included in the staff lists and time sheets. These "employees" included educators, assistant educators, guards, cleaners, and technicians.

It was established that the accounting department and other officials transferred salaries to the bank accounts of these formal employees or to the accounts of controlled persons - relatives, acquaintances or trustees of the management of the institutions. The received funds were then distributed among directors, accountants and other officials, which in fact amounted to the embezzlement of budget funds allocated for the salaries of real employees.

The investigation revealed the involvement of directors of several kindergartens in Odesa: Kindergartens #29, #47, #50, #63, and #258.

On December 23, 2025, a senior investigator conducted a search of the apartment of one of the suspects on the basis of a ruling by an investigating judge. During the search, they seized

• an iPhone cell phone
• a bank card
• the original of the personal medical book;
• a payroll for December 2025 of the Center for Financing and Economic Activity of Institutions and Institutions of the Education System of the Prymorskyi District
• Redmi Book laptop.

The court partially granted the prosecutor's motion and seized the payroll for December 2025, as it may contain evidence of a crime and is essential to the investigation. The court denied the rest of the prosecutor's motion.

Also in January, the head of the Odesa Housing and Maintenance Department was taken into custody. He is suspected of negligence of military service and causing damage to the state budget when purchasing military beds for the army.

Анна Бальчінос