Large-scale apartment fraud worth tens of millions uncovered in Bucha, among victims are veterans and IDPs - Prosecutor General
Kyiv • UNN
Cooperative leaders defrauded 66 people, including veterans and internally displaced persons. The suspects embezzled funds without completing the promised high-rise buildings.
A housing scam worth tens of millions has been exposed in Bucha, near Kyiv, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced on social media on Tuesday, UNN reports.
Stolen a chance for a new home: a housing scam worth tens of millions exposed in Bucha. Bucha, a city that continues to recover after the occupation. And it is here that certain individuals decided to profit from someone else's misfortune.
According to the Prosecutor General, "the victims of the scam were veterans, as well as those who had already lost their homes due to the war: internally displaced persons." "People invested their last savings in new housing, but instead received deception," he pointed out.
Under the procedural guidance of the Bucha District Prosecutor's Office, two individuals were notified of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
"These are the heads of housing and construction cooperatives who offered to invest in the alleged construction of multi-story buildings. They signed contracts. They demonstrated "documents." They created a sense of legality. People paid hundreds of thousands of hryvnias. The result: no housing. Construction is not completed, facilities are not put into operation, funds are appropriated," Kravchenko noted.
Currently, according to the Prosecutor General, 66 victims have been identified. The total amount of damages is over 35.5 million hryvnias.
"This is not just fraud. This is an attempt to profit from someone else's misfortune, from those who lost their homes, and from those who defended these homes. We will identify everyone involved in this scheme. And it is fundamental: the funds must be returned to the people. We continue to work," Kravchenko emphasized.