In Transcarpathia, prosecutors from the regional and district prosecutor's offices, together with other law enforcement agencies, have recently reported suspicions against another 31 individuals in cases related to priority areas.

In particular, this concerns crimes in the area of budget fund abuse, illegal schemes in the fields of medicine and education, environmental and ecological crimes, smuggling, and more. The total damages currently established in these criminal proceedings exceed 86 million hryvnias.

"I want to emphasize clearly: work in this direction will continue to strengthen. We do not stop at what has been achieved. If there are violations, prosecutors will respond. Crime – suspicion – fair verdict: in this triangle, our goal is the restoration of justice. And there are no ties to positions or statuses here," emphasized the head of the Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor's Office, Myroslav Patskan.

Deputy Corps

A deputy of the Transcarpathian Regional Council, who is also the head of the council's commission responsible for ecological protection, has established the sale of oak timber. According to documents, they were "selling" ordinary firewood, but in fact, they were shipping valuable oak wood. He acted in collusion with the head of the Berehiv Forestry of the "Carpathian Forest Office" State Enterprise "Forests of Ukraine".

The deputy personally negotiated with an end buyer from Rivne region for illegal supplies. It has been established that about 400,000 hryvnias for one of these supplies were transferred to the bank account of the deputy's wife.

In Khust, a city council deputy illegally sold electronic cigarettes and liquids for them. He set up the illegal business in his yard in a trading pavilion. During the inspection, law enforcement seized over a thousand units of liquids for electronic cigarettes and dozens of electronic cigarettes – all without excise tax labels.

A district council deputy, who at that time was appointed by the State Highway Service to carry out technical supervision over the repair of a state road, through negligence allowed the budget to lose 8.4 million hryvnias.

Abuse of Budget Funds

The director of a company embezzled 37.8 million hryvnias of budget funds while performing current repairs on a state road, and a former technical supervision engineer from the State Highway Service in the Transcarpathian region assisted him in this.

The head of the Institute of Agricultural Resources and the head of the grain storage facility, having conspired, illegally issued 300 tons of grain from the storage in Berehiv region to other individuals. This includes 140 tons of millet and 160 tons of soybeans, worth nearly 1.9 million hryvnias.

The former head of a structural unit of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in the Transcarpathian region and the head of a private enterprise illegally appropriated over 234,000 hryvnias during the construction of garages.

The director of a private company and a technical supervision engineer from the Uzhhorod City Council illegally appropriated 235,000 hryvnias while performing capital repairs on a polyclinic in Uzhhorod for the accommodation of internally displaced persons. To implement the plan, the perpetrators forged 12 certificates and acts.

The former head of one of the departments of the Uzhhorod City Council accepted an office-residential building in operation in the regional center without the developer paying the required contribution. The developer paid one-tenth of the total amount, resulting in the city losing nearly 1.7 million hryvnias.

In Berehiv region, a former deputy head of one of the city council departments purchased modular shelters at a price 1 million hryvnias higher than the actual cost.

Crimes Against the Environment, Ecology, and Resort Lands

The organizer of a scheme to appropriate 2 hectares of land in the resort area of Dragobrat has been exposed. A Transcarpathian, to whom this land plot was registered, has already been reported as a suspect. The value of the land is 12.5 million hryvnias.

A forester from the Khust Forestry of the "Carpathian Forest Office" improperly performed his duties, allowing mass illegal logging. The amount of damages is 1.6 million hryvnias.

By setting fire to dry grass, a Transcarpathian caused an uncontrolled, large-scale fire in the territory of the Velykodil Forestry, which is within the boundaries of the "Enchanted Land" National Nature Park. The fire covered over 47 hectares, including nearly 7.5 hectares of forest. As a result, 209 beech and birch trees were destroyed. The amount of damages caused exceeds 24 million hryvnias.

The Education Sector

An official from the Uzhhorod City Council and an entrepreneur are suspected of embezzling 1.7 million hryvnias during the capital repair of the heating system in two Uzhhorod schools. The perpetrators illegally received funds from the budget through artificially inflated cost indicators for equipment and materials.

In Mukachevo region, the head of the village council demanded "kickbacks" from subordinates for additional bonuses awarded to them.

Corruption and Abuse in the Medical Sector

In Tyachiv region, a family doctor demanded and received 8,000 US dollars in illegal benefits for assisting in the fictitious registration of disability for a conscript. She assured the Transcarpathian that for this amount she would influence other medical professionals who could hospitalize and produce medical documents with false information. Subsequently, this would serve as grounds for the conscript to obtain fictitious disability status.

In the district hospital, medical staff established a scheme for the illegal extension of disability groups for conscripts. Prosecutors reported suspicions against the former head and a member of the medical advisory commission and six accomplices.

An official from the Svalyava City Hospital, who organized the purchase of an ultrasound scanner, prepared documents for a "preferred" supplier. As a result, the hospital overpaid more than half a million hryvnias for the device, although its actual price is much lower.

Abuse of Volunteer Property

A 48-year-old resident of Berehiv region sold 5 cars that, according to customs declarations, were imported into Ukraine for a charitable organization. The cars were brought in for transfer to special units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The total value of the illegally sold vehicles is nearly 1.4 million hryvnias.

Counteracting Smuggling

The head of a company attempted to smuggle over 500 units of timber to Hungary.

Another Transcarpathian attempted to smuggle electronic cigarettes and liquids for them into Ukraine. The total value of the seized excise goods is about 1.2 million hryvnias.

Depending on the committed crimes, the actions of individuals are qualified under Articles 191, 201-2, 245, 246, 358, 364, 366, 367, 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Applications for the selection of preventive measures and the suspension of suspects from their positions are being sent to the courts.

Law enforcement agencies ensure the highest quality and prompt investigation. Just in recent days, indictments in 19 criminal proceedings against 23 individuals have been sent to court. The established amount of damages is 53.5 million hryvnias.

Prosecutors of the Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor's Office, in cooperation with the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Transcarpathian region, the Territorial Administration of the Bureau of Economic Security in the Transcarpathian region, the Territorial Administration of the State Bureau of Investigation located in Lviv, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Transcarpathian region, the Cybercrime Prevention Department in the Transcarpathian region, and the Regional Department of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine, are establishing all the factual circumstances.

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.