Theft of humanitarian aid in Kherson region: ex-official is served suspicion notice

A former deputy head of a village military administration in Kherson Oblast is suspected of stealing humanitarian aid that was supposed to support the local administration during the war.

According to the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office, the official was responsible for the storage, accounting, and distribution of humanitarian aid to the community. However, instead of transferring the property to the needs of local residents, he decided to misappropriate power tools worth almost 64 thousand hryvnias.

Law enforcement officers searched his home and found the tools that had been donated as humanitarian aid.

The man is suspected of misappropriation of another's property through abuse of office during martial law (Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). If his guilt is proven in court, he faces up to 8 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Earlier, SBI investigators exposed the director and chief accountant ofthe Khersonteploenergo utility company, who withdrew the company's money to their own accounts. According to the investigation, at the beginning of the occupation of Kherson, payments from individuals and legal entities for heat supply services were accumulated on the company's accounts. Instead of saving the money, the director and her accomplices organized a scheme to withdraw funds to private accounts. In total, they embezzled UAH 13 million.

Law enforcement officers also identified those involved in the embezzlement of over UAH 138 million from the state budget. These funds were allocated for the needs of the army. The detainees include an official from Mykolaiv region. In the course of the large-scale special operation, law enforcement officers conducted 70 searches and served 30 notices of suspicion to officials throughout Ukraine.

In Mykolaiv, more than UAH 10 million allocated for defense was embezzled. The embezzlement involved the head of the Mykolaiv Housing and Maintenance Department, who conspired with an entrepreneur.

Ірина Глухова