Investigation by the GDB in Mykolaiv uncovered a scheme involving the embezzlement of funds allocated for purchasing uniforms for the Territorial Defense of Kherson.

Investigators from the Bureau of Investigation in Mykolaiv have uncovered a scheme orchestrated by a deputy from the Kirovohrad region, through which funds allocated for the purchase of military uniforms for the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine were embezzled.

This was reported by the specialized prosecutor's office in the defense sector of the southern region.

In October 2022, one of the suspects—a deputy of the city council in the Kirovohrad region—organized a scheme to misappropriate budgetary funds.

For this deal, he, also serving as the director of a limited liability company, enlisted the help of a director from a private contracting enterprise and an accountant, who were supposed to purchase goods at a price lower than that stated in the documents and then supply them to the customer by forging delivery notes.

Thus, in December 2022, contracts for the supply of uniforms were signed between two contracting enterprises controlled by the organizer and one of the Departments of the Kherson Regional State Administration.

However, the delivered sets of winter uniforms only visually resembled the military uniforms of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They did not match the quantity specified in the delivery notes, did not meet the technical specifications and requirements approved by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, and lacked quality certificates, which excluded the possibility of their use for their intended purpose.

As a result, the scheme's participants misappropriated budgetary funds amounting to over 11.8 million UAH and planned to embezzle nearly 9.2 million UAH more, which they could not receive due to the exposure of their criminal activities.

Thus, the state suffered damages totaling more than 11.8 million UAH.

All suspects have been served petitions for the application of a preventive measure in the form of detention.

The pre-trial investigation was carried out by investigators from the First Investigative Department (located in Mykolaiv) of the Bureau of Investigation in Mykolaiv, with operational support from the Special Operations Unit in the Kherson region of the National Police of Ukraine.

Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the defense sector of the southern region, two directors of private enterprises and an accountant have been notified of suspicion regarding the facts of misappropriation and attempted misappropriation of someone else's property; the preparation and issuance of knowingly false official documents by an official (part 3 of article 28, part 5 of article 191, part 3 of article 28, part 2 of article 15, part 5 of article 191, and part 3 of article 28, part 1 of article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).