Criminal organization led by former dpty mayor of Kharkiv exposed: they’re suspected of embezzling UAH 5.4 mln allocated for fortifications - prosecutor general

The prosecutor's office, together with the police, exposed a criminal organization headed by former deputy mayor of Kharkiv: they are suspected of embezzling UAH 5.4 million in budget funds allocated for fortifications, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported on Saturday.

The Specialized prosecutor's office for defense of the eastern region has reported suspicion to five members of a criminal organization created and led by the former Deputy Mayor of Kharkiv. In addition to the organizer, the criminal organization included four executors, including two heads of enterprises and two individual entrepreneurs, Kravchenko reported on his Telegram channel.

The organizer and director of one of the enterprises, as the main contractor, involved the head of a shell company and two of the same private entrepreneurs in illegal activities, who purchased property for the construction of fortifications at prices inflated by more than 30% of the market price.

The investigation established that as a result of the group's criminal activity, the state suffered damages in the amount of UAH 5.4 million. As part of the pretrial investigation, other episodes of the activity of this criminal organization will be examined.

As part of the proceedings, a number of searches were conducted in Kharkiv and Kharkiv region, during which computer equipment, accounting and financial documents were seized.

The prosecutor's office accuses the suspects of participating in a criminal organization with the aim of embezzling budget funds on an especially large scale, under martial law.

The organizer of the criminal group was served with a notice of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 255, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 4 of Article 191, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 5 of Article 191, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

For the perpetrators - under Part 3 of Article 255, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 4 of Article 191, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 5 of Article 191, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

All members of the criminal organization have been detained. A motion has been filed with the court regarding the suspects to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention without setting the amount of bail.

"I would like to add that the funds stolen from the budget must be returned to the state in full. And this applies not only to this case. And I warn all those who want to get rich on the defense industry or the army - you will be held accountable to the fullest extent," the Prosecutor General also wrote.

Pretrial investigation in criminal proceedings under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the sphere of defense of the eastern region is carried out by the Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kharkiv region with operational support of the 7th Directorate (for servicing Kharkiv region) of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine.