A scheme of embezzlement of budget funds on a particularly large scale was exposed at the Kyiv University of Culture and the honorary president of the university, Mykhailo Poplavskyi, was detained. This is stated in a message from the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO).
According to law enforcement officers, officials of the Kyiv University of Culture, in collusion with officials of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, organized a scheme of illegal appropriation of budget funds allocated within the framework of the state program for training personnel at higher education institutions.
"This concerns financing under the budget program "Training of personnel at higher education institutions and ensuring the activities of their practice bases". During 2022-2023, about UAH 760 million was sent from the state budget to the specified educational institution within the framework of this program," the PGO said.
Scheme of budget embezzlement was exposed at the Kyiv University of Culture. Photo: Prosecutor General's Office
Scheme of budget embezzlement was exposed at the Kyiv University of Culture. Photo: Prosecutor General's Office
The investigation established that the basis for determining the amount of state funding was data on the number of higher education applicants, scientific applicants, as well as the institution's staff list.
According to law enforcement officers, unreliable information about the contingent of students and scientific and pedagogical workers could be entered into official documents, which gave grounds for an unjustified increase in the amount of funding.
Law enforcement officers are also checking information about the possible inclusion in the reporting of persons who actually belonged to a private educational institution and did not have the right to participate in the relevant budget program.
According to preliminary data, as a result of such actions, the state suffered particularly large damage.
"As part of the pre-trial investigation of the criminal proceedings, on March 27, under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office, investigators of the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine, conducted more than 20 searches at the places of residence of the persons involved, as well as in the premises of the Kyiv University of Culture. During the investigative actions, mobile phones, hard drives, and seals of enterprises that may contain evidence of illegal activity were seized," the prosecutor's office noted.
According to the Ukrainian News Agency's sources in law enforcement agencies, one of the detainees is the former long-time rector of the University of Culture and the current honorary president of the university, Mykhailo Poplavskyi.
A pre-trial investigation is currently underway, all the circumstances of the alleged crime and the full range of persons involved are being established.
As Ukrainian News Agency reported, earlier Nazariy Husakov, who is suspected of embezzling funds allegedly collected for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), returned to Ukraine from Italy.
A scheme of budget embezzlement was exposed at the Kyiv University of Culture. Photo: Prosecutor General's Office
A scheme of budget embezzlement was exposed at the Kyiv University of Culture. Photo: Prosecutor General's Office
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