SBU: Officials of the Odessa City Council are suspected of embezzling half of the funds for the burial of soldiers
The Security Service of Ukraine and investigators of the National Police have uncovered a scheme in Odessa to embezzle budget funds intended for the burial of fallen servicemen, the SBU reports .
According to the case materials, the suspects embezzled almost 50% of the money allocated to ensure that relatives of Ukrainian soldiers had their burial free of charge.
As the investigation established, officials of the Odessa City Council and local entrepreneurs were involved in the scheme.
"The criminal mechanism consisted of the participants in the transaction concluding contracts at inflated prices and distributing the resulting "difference" among themselves," law enforcement officials report.
According to the conclusions of independent experts, officials appropriated more than UAH 2.1 million out of the UAH 4.8 million that the Odesa City Council allocated for the installation of 88 monuments.
Law enforcement officers informed the organizers and participants of the scheme of suspicion of misappropriation, embezzlement of property, or taking possession of it through abuse of official position during a state of war or emergency on a particularly large scale or by an organized group.
The issue of choosing a preventive measure for the suspect is currently being resolved.
- On February 17, the Security Service of Ukraine reported the detention in Odessa of seven suspects – the founder and top managers of a local company. According to the investigation, the company supplied equipment for the power grids of military bases to the Russian Federation.
