Under the procedural guidance of the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor's Office, the former head of the State Emergency Service in the Vinnytsia region and the former head of the resource support department of this service have been notified of suspicion of embezzlement of budget funds through abuse of office (Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the investigation materials, in 2022, the former officials, for selfish motives, entered into a contract with a pre-selected company for the purchase of 790 sets of special radiation, chemical, and biological protection (RCBP) for the region's rescuers at inflated prices.

It has been established that the average market price of one set was approximately 4417 UAH, while the purchase was made at a price of 8100 UAH per unit.

Moreover, the delivered goods did not meet the technical specifications defined by DSTU standards, particularly regarding the seam strength and the presence of protective glass.

As a result, the suspects, improperly performing their official duties during the procurement, failed to ensure the rational and effective use of budget funds. As a result of these actions, the former officials caused damage to the state amounting to 6.4 million UAH.

The specified crime is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with confiscation of property.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators of the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigation in Khmelnytskyi, with operational support from the Vinnytsia Department of the National Police's Department of Internal Security and the Security Service of Ukraine in the Vinnytsia region.

Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.