In the Mykolaiv region, a village head and a police officer are suspected of fraud involving e-Restoration

Local officials in the Mykolaiv region have been charged with passing off a renovated official apartment as a destroyed residence so that a police officer could receive 2.6 million hryvnias under the "e-Recovery" program.

According to the State Bureau of Investigations, the village head, his deputy, and a community police officer were involved in the scheme. All three have been notified of the charges against them. They have been suspended from their positions, and preventive measures have been imposed on them.

The Bureau reported that in March 2022, the Shevchenkivska community in the Mykolaiv region came under shelling. The community police officer’s official residence sustained minor damage at that time. Subsequently, using funds from the community and donors, the windows and doors were replaced and the roof was repaired.

PHOTO: State Bureau of Investigation

According to the investigation, the village head, his deputy, and a police officer decided to exploit a state compensation program for their own benefit.

First, they facilitated the police officer’s privatization of his official apartment. The building was not declared unsafe after the shelling, and its residents had already received assistance for repairs. Therefore, through a village council decision, the officials changed the apartment’s status and its legal address.

In the documents, the apartment was reclassified as a separate single-family home with a different number.

Afterward, commission members drew up an inspection report for the residence, which was allegedly destroyed by armed aggression. The building belonged to the police officer and his family members. The report stated that it was destroyed and uninhabitable.

Based on this report, the police officer received a housing certificate worth 2.6 million hryvnias under the “e-Restoration” program. He used this money to buy an apartment in Mykolaiv.

The village head and his deputy were notified that they are suspected of abuse of office (Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The community police officer was notified that he is suspected of aiding and abetting this crime, that is, of helping to commit it (Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

This offense is punishable by up to six years of imprisonment.

Currently, the State Bureau of Investigation is taking steps to recover the losses incurred by the state.

Ірина Глухова