In the Lviv region, law enforcement officers exposed the head of a forestry plant and his accomplice, who employed military personnel to obtain deferment from conscription.
Despite the fact that the newly appointed ‘specialists’ did not show up for work, they regularly received salaries, which the suspects appropriated. As a result, the suspects caused the company losses amounting to more than 365 thousand hryvnias.
The perpetrators, the head and the chief of security of a state forestry enterprise in the Lviv region, were exposed by investigators of the Department for the Investigation of Crimes in the Sphere of Economic and Official Activity of the Investigation Department of the Lviv Police, in cooperation with operatives of the Department of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Lviv region, under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the Defense Sphere of the Western Region.
It was established that in 2024-2025, during the martial law, the suspects, abusing their official positions and with the intention of misappropriating company funds, employed three military personnel to positions of legal counsel, senior personnel inspector, and chief economist.
At the same time, the criminals knew exactly that these ‘specialists’ were hired solely for the purpose of obtaining deferment from conscription to military service and would not come to work or perform their job duties. However, despite this, they were regularly paid salaries, which the head and chief of security of the enterprise appropriated.
In this way, the suspects caused the forestry plant losses of more than 365 thousand hryvnias.
The head of the enterprise was notified of suspicion of committing crimes provided for in part 4 of Article 191 (Misappropriation, embezzlement of property or possession through abuse of official position) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and part 2 of Article 28 – part 1 of Article 366 (Official forgery) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
His accomplice, the chief of security, was notified of suspicion of committing crimes provided for in parts 4, 5 of Article 27 – part 4 of Article 191 (Misappropriation, embezzlement of property or possession through abuse of official position) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The maximum penalty facing the suspects is imprisonment for up to eight years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years.
Pre-trial investigation is ongoing, by court decision, the suspects were suspended from their positions.