Village head in Kherson region receives suspended sentence for embezzlement

The court approved a plea agreement in the case of embezzlement of budget funds in the Bilokrynytsia community of Kherson region. The case concerns the former acting head of the village of Bila Krynytsia, Serhiy Siriak, who signed documents on the execution of works that were not actually carried out.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

According to the case file, the official became head of the Bilokrynytsia village council in November 2017 and was authorized to manage the community's budget funds. In December 2019, he entered into an agreement with a private enterprise for the arrangement of sports, gymnastic and children's playgrounds in the village of Bila Krynytsia. The cost of the work was over UAH 532 thousand.

Despite the fact that no construction work was performed at the site, the official signed an acceptance certificate and stamped it with the seal of the village council. Based on this document, funds from the community budget were transferred to the contractor. Expert examinations confirmed that the signature on the acts belonged to the accused, and the information about the work performed was false.

The court found that at the time of payment, neither the playgrounds, nor the fencing, nor the paving slabs provided for in the estimate had been built. Thus, the community suffered large-scale damage - more than half a million hryvnias. These funds were later fully reimbursed.

In November 2025, the accused and the prosecutor's office entered into a plea agreement. The man fully pleaded guilty to embezzlement of budget funds by abuse of office. The court agreed to the terms of the agreement and sentenced him to five years in prison with a probationary period of three years. He was also banned from holding managerial and administrative positions for three years.

In addition, the convict was fined almost UAH 30 thousand for conducting forensic examinations. The verdict can be appealed within 30 days.

A separate charge was brought against the contractor, 71-year-old Viktor Bolbas. According to law enforcement officials, in 2022 he moved to the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson region, where he continued his business activities and cooperated with the occupation administration.

Анна Бальчінос