Prosecutors have notified 17 participants of a scheme who, under the guise of developing greenhouse farming, horticulture, berry growing, and viticulture, embezzled budget funds totaling over 34 million hryvnias. This was reported by UNN with reference to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Details
According to the investigation, the funds were provided within the framework of government programs to support small and medium-sized agricultural businesses, introduced by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
This resolution provides for the financing of greenhouse complexes, orchards, vineyards, and the development of farms with the creation of jobs and production of goods.
The investigation also established that after receiving grants, the suspects did not carry out the declared activities on the land plots, as stipulated by their business plans, and did not plant any crops.
The perpetrators did not return the received funds; instead, they used the money at their discretion. They legalized part of the stolen funds through non-commodity financial transactions of controlled enterprises, creating artificial money movement and the appearance of economic activity.
As part of the investigation, 39 searches were conducted in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Kyiv Oblast. Financial and economic documentation, computer equipment, mobile terminals, and cars were seized. The group members are accused of misappropriating property through fraud on a particularly large scale and legalizing property obtained by criminal means, by prior conspiracy of a group of persons.
Recall
In Kyiv Oblast, law enforcement officers detained a platoon commander of the Ukrainian Air Force who appropriated equipment intended for combat duty.