In the Lviv region, a former authorised officer for public procurement at the education department of the city council of the Stryi community has been notified of suspicion of abuse of office during the procurement of fuel for educational institutions. This was reported under the procedural guidance of the Stryi District Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, the 30-year-old official, responsible for conducting tenders, failed to carry out proper monitoring of market prices and did not verify the offers of potential suppliers. During 2022–2023, she signed a number of contracts with three private entrepreneurs for the supply of firewood for heating educational institutions in the Stryi community.
The cost of the timber under these contracts, according to the investigation, exceeded the average market price by 1.6–2.2 times and was not properly justified with documentation. For the needs of 10 schools, lyceums, gymnasiums and nursery schools in the district, more than 3,000 cubic metres of firewood were purchased, with an overpayment for each cubic metre ranging from 780 to 1,600 UAH.
As a result of these actions, according to preliminary estimates, the local budget suffered losses of almost UAH 4 million. The official is charged with the deliberate use of her official position contrary to the interests of the service in order to obtain unlawful benefit for other persons, which caused serious consequences to the public interest (Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators of the Stryi District Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region, with operational support from the Stryi District Department of the Security Service of Ukraine in Lviv region.
Pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.