In the Lviv region, an indictment has been submitted to court against the former authorised public procurement officer of a city council education department, who is accused of causing almost UAH 4 million in losses during the purchase of fuel for educational institutions in the Stryi community. This was reported by the Stryi District Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, during 2022–2023 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 firewood suppliers.
As a result, a number of contracts were concluded with three entrepreneurs for the supply of firewood to heat schools and nurseries in the Stryi community at prices 1.6–2.2 times higher than the market average. For the needs of 10 schools, lyceums, gymnasiums and nursery schools in the district, more than 3,000 cubic metres of firewood were purchased, and the overpayment per cubic metre, depending on the contract, ranged from 780 to 1,600 hryvnias.
According to the investigation’s calculations, these actions caused material damage to the budget of Stryi City Council amounting to almost UAH 4 million.
The former 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 resulted in serious consequences for the public interest (Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The pre-trial investigation was 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 Office 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 and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of the court.