On Friday, March 27, police searched the former president of the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts (KNUCA), Mykhailo Poplavsky, as part of a criminal proceeding concerning the embezzlement of about UAH 300 million in budget funds. UNN learned this from its own sources.
According to UNN sources in law enforcement agencies, searches were conducted at Poplavsky's home, as well as at the Kyiv University of Culture.
According to the investigation, officials of the Kyiv University of Culture, in collusion with officials of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, organized a scheme for the illegal appropriation of budget funds allocated within the state program for personnel training by higher education institutions.
This refers to funding under the budget program "Training of personnel by higher education institutions and ensuring the operation of their practice bases." During 2022–2023, within the framework of this program, about UAH 760 million was allocated from the state budget to the educational institution.
The investigation established that the basis for determining the volume of state funding was data on the number of students, scientific researchers, as well as the staffing table of the institution.
According to law enforcement, inaccurate information regarding the contingent of students and scientific and pedagogical staff could have been entered into official documents, which provided grounds for an unjustified increase in funding.
In addition, information is being checked about the possible inclusion in the reporting of persons who actually belonged to a private educational institution and had no right to participate in the relevant budget program.
According to law enforcement, inaccurate information regarding the contingent of students and scientific and pedagogical staff could have been entered into official documents, which provided grounds for an unjustified increase in funding.
In addition, law enforcement officers are checking information about the possible inclusion in the reporting of persons who actually belonged to a private educational institution and had no right to participate in the relevant budget program. According to UNN, this refers to the "Kyiv University of Culture," controlled by Mykhailo Poplavsky.
As part of the pre-trial investigation of the criminal proceeding, on March 27, under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office, investigators of the Main Directorate of the National Police, with the operational support of the SBU, conducted more than 20 searches at the residences of involved persons, as well as in the premises of the Kyiv University of Culture. During the investigative actions, mobile phones, hard drives, and company seals that may contain evidence of illegal activity were seized.