Thanks to the consistent work of the prosecutor's office and the Security Service of Ukraine, over 40 million hryvnias, illegally appropriated within the city social support program "Care. Towards Kyivans," have been reimbursed to the capital's budget.

The funds were returned by one of the suspects in the misappropriation of budgetary funds allocated for assistance to socially vulnerable Kyivans. Thus, at this time, within the framework of the pre-trial investigation, the suspects have already reimbursed 60.5 million hryvnias. Work on recovering the remaining losses is ongoing.

We remind you that the director of the Department of Social and Veteran Policy of the Kyiv City State Administration, two of his deputies, and entrepreneurs received suspicions of misappropriating budgetary funds as part of an organized group.

This concerns the funds allocated under the city target program "Care. Towards Kyivans" in 2022-2024. Thus, of the 150 million hryvnias allocated from the city budget, the group members misappropriated almost 75 million hryvnias.

The Department of Social and Veteran Policy of the Kyiv City State Administration selected a company through competitions that provided palliative care and social assistance services to Kyivans who cannot take care of themselves, particularly due to mental disorders.

Entrepreneurs, in collusion with officials of the Kyiv City State Administration, siphoned off funds allocated for assistance to Kyivans under the pretext of renting offices, vehicles, and parking spaces. They also included services in the documents that were not actually provided, such as the use of exercise bikes by patients who cannot get out of bed.

We remind you that in November, damages amounting to 20.5 million hryvnias were reimbursed by two suspected entrepreneurs. They returned 12.5 million hryvnias to the budget and donated 6 vehicles worth 8 million hryvnias for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The pre-trial investigation regarding the officials of the Kyiv City State Administration has been completed, and they are familiarizing themselves with the materials of the proceedings, after which the indictment will be sent to court for substantive consideration.

As for the entrepreneurs who admitted their guilt and reimbursed the damages, the materials have been separated into a separate proceeding, and the indictment has been sent to court with agreements on admission of guilt, which have been approved with the issuance of a verdict.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings was conducted by investigators of the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and the Kyiv region under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.

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.