Law enforcement officers have established new facts in the criminal proceedings regarding the misappropriation of budget funds allocated for the construction of a sports complex in the village of Polyana. According to the pre-trial investigation, the organizer of the illegal scheme was the head of the contracting company, who had previously developed a mechanism for misappropriating funds and distributed roles among the members of the criminal group. The documents collected during the investigation indicate that the scheme began to be prepared even before the tender was held.

The investigation has established that a significant portion of the materials, equipment, and work existed only on paper. The organizer and the private entrepreneurs he involved arranged fictitious deliveries and reflected in the documents work that was not actually performed. It is noteworthy that the roof of the sports complex, which was actually built only after July 2025, was already listed as fully completed in the acts for 2022. These acts were approved by the head of one of the structural divisions of the village council.

A similar scheme was used to embezzle nearly half a million hryvnias during the capital repair of a shelter for schoolchildren. 

The total amount of damages currently confirmed by experts exceeds 6.2 million UAH.

Depending on the committed acts, the director of the contracting company, two private entrepreneurs involved, and the head of the structural division of the Polyana village council have additionally been charged with misappropriation of budget funds committed by a group of persons in collusion in especially large amounts, official forgery, as well as legalization (money laundering) of property obtained by criminal means committed as part of an organized criminal group (Part 5 of Article 191, Parts 1, 2 of Article 209, Part 3 of Article 28 - Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). 

Recall that in July, the prosecutor's office sent an indictment to the Svalyava District Court against the head of the department of the Polyana village council, who failed to ensure effective control and supervision over the progress of work at the facility. Within the framework of the investigation, the Mukachevo District Prosecutor's Office filed a civil lawsuit against the accused for the recovery of over 5.5 million UAH in damages. The official has been suspended from his position. Law enforcement officers have also seized the official's property.

Prosecutors from the Transcarpathian Regional and Mukachevo District Prosecutor's Offices are coordinating the further course of the pre-trial investigation, which is being conducted by the investigative unit of the Mukachevo District Police Department. Operational support is provided by the employees of the UCR in the Transcarpathian 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 guilty verdict of the court.