In the Lviv region, law enforcement officers reported uncovering an alleged corruption scheme related to the procurement of coal for educational institutions.
According to the investigation, the head of the city council, the acting head of the relevant department, and the deputy director of a private enterprise may have been involved in organizing the scheme.
As journalists report, this concerns officials of the Belz City Council. This was reported by Oleh Radyk . Later, the publication Zahid.net confirmed the information that the Security Service of Ukraine detained the head of the Belz community, Oksana Bereza.
Investigators established that in September last year, a representative of a private company allegedly reached an agreement with the mayor of one of the localities in the Lviv region in order to gain an advantage when concluding a contract for the supply of coal products for educational institutions. To implement this scheme, according to law enforcement officers, a subordinate official was involved in the process.
In October 2025, the acting head of the Department of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, according to the investigation, ensured the signing of an agreement between the city council and the designated supplier. At the same time, the contractor, according to available information, did not intend to properly fulfill the terms of the contract.
This concerns the fact that coal of lower quality than was stipulated by the contract was actually delivered to educational institutions under the community’s authority. At the same time, documents that were supposed to confirm the fuel’s compliance with the established requirements were absent. Despite this, the official signed the delivery notes provided by the supplier, and these papers subsequently became the basis for the transfer of budget funds.
According to preliminary estimates, 214 tons of low-quality coal were delivered to 11 educational institutions, including schools, gymnasiums, and a kindergarten. As a result, according to the investigation, the enterprise unjustifiably received nearly UAH 2.3 million from the budget.
Separately, law enforcement officers report another episode. According to the investigation, the city head established a mechanism for receiving unlawful benefits from subordinates. They were required to return part of the bonuses accrued to employees to her in cash. It has been documented that in September last year, the official allegedly received UAH 4,700 from a specialist in the city council’s financial department.
During searches of the individuals involved in the proceedings, UAH 637,000, more than 3,000 zlotys, USD 1,300, as well as documents and draft notes that may be relevant to the investigation, were seized.
Under the procedural supervision of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, all three participants in the case were served with notices of suspicion. The head of the city council and the acting head of the department are accused of abuse of office under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In addition, the city head is also accused of receiving an unlawful benefit under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The deputy director of the private enterprise was served with a notice of suspicion of misappropriating another person’s property through abuse of office under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Investigative actions are currently ongoing. Law enforcement officers are identifying other persons who may have been involved in this scheme. The issue of imposing preventive measures on the suspects and suspending the city council officials from performing their duties is also being decided.
Key facts of the case:
- 214 tons of coal, which the investigation considers to be of low quality, were supplied to 11 educational institutions;
- the amount of the alleged losses is nearly UAH 2.3 million;
- a separate episode involving the alleged receipt of UAH 4,700 in unlawful benefit has also been documented;
- during the searches, UAH 637,000, more than 3,000 zlotys, and USD 1,300 were seized;
- the investigation is ongoing, and the circle of possible participants in the scheme is still being established.
The pre-trial investigation is being carried out by the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Lviv region. Operational support is being provided by the Security Service of Ukraine Directorate in the Lviv region and the Strategic Investigations Directorate in the Lviv region.
Under Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court’s guilty verdict.