In the Lviv region, law enforcement officers have tracked down and detained the former director of a contracting firm suspected of misappropriating budget funds during the renovation of a sanatorium. According to the investigation, the state sustained losses of over UAH 1.2 million.
The investigation established that in September 2022, three contracts for repair works on the residential blocks of the sanatorium, intended in particular to accommodate internally displaced persons, were concluded between the acting director of the sanatorium and health resort treatment centre and the company.
Despite changes in the company’s management, the contracts were signed with different individuals, but the scheme remained the same: in the documents submitted on behalf of the firm, in particular the certificates of completed construction works and cost statements, the scope and cost of the works were artificially inflated. The documents were signed by the person who at that time held the position of director of the contractor.
In July last year, the acting director of the sanatorium and one of the contractors were notified that they were suspected of misappropriating almost UAH 1.3 million in budget funds and of official forgery of documents under Part 5 of Article 191, Part 2 of Article 28, and Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. These criminal proceedings are currently before the court.
In March this year, under the procedural guidance of the Yavoriv District Prosecutor’s Office, two more representatives of the contracting company – the former and current directors – were notified of suspicion under the same articles of the Criminal Code. According to the investigation, their actions caused losses to the state of over UAH 1.2 million and almost UAH 1.7 million respectively.
After being notified of suspicion, both men went into hiding from the investigation. One of them, the former director, has now been located and detained, after which the investigation in this case has been resumed and preparations are under way to refer the indictment to court. Investigative actions, including efforts to trace the other suspect, are ongoing. The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Yavoriv District Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region.
Pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.