Prosecutors of the Vinnytsia Regional Prosecutor's Office have reported suspicions against the head of the Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service in the Vinnytsia region, the head of one of the departments of this Service, and the director of a contracting company in a criminal proceeding regarding the embezzlement of budget funds.

Depending on each person's role, they are accused of embezzling someone else's property by abusing their official position, committed under martial law in particularly large amounts, as well as issuing knowingly false official documents by an official, committed by a group of persons in collusion (Part 5 of Article 191, Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the investigation, in December 2022, the Service conducted a procurement for the maintenance of state-owned highways, including the servicing of traffic lights and street lighting. The winner of the tender was a company that did not have a license and the corresponding right to supply and distribute electrical energy. Despite this, in January 2023, a two-year contract was signed with them.

Subsequently, during 2023–2024, the contractor knowingly inflated the cost of electricity by 20% in the monthly acts of completed work, including expenses not provided for in the budget documentation.

As a result of such actions, according to the investigation, 1.6 million UAH was embezzled from the budget over the two years of the contract's validity.

Currently, investigative and procedural actions are ongoing in the criminal proceeding. The issue of choosing preventive measures for the suspects is being resolved.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the investigative department of the Main Directorate of the National Police 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.