The Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the Defense Sector of the Eastern Region reported suspicions against five members of a criminal organization created and led by the former deputy mayor of Kharkiv. The organized crime group included, in addition to the organizer, four executors, among whom were: 2 heads of enterprises and 2 individual entrepreneurs.

The organizer and the director of one of the enterprises, as the main contractor, involved the head of a shell company and two similar individual entrepreneurs, who purchased property for the fortification at prices inflated by more than 30% above market rates.

The investigation established that as a result of the group's criminal activities, the state suffered losses amounting to 5.4 million hryvnias. Other episodes of the activities of this criminal organization will be investigated within the framework of the pre-trial investigation.

Within the proceedings, a number of searches were conducted in Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region, during which computer equipment, accounting, and financial documents were seized.
The prosecution charges the suspects with participation in a criminal organization for the purpose of embezzling budget funds in particularly large amounts under conditions of martial law.

The organizer of the criminal group has been served a notice of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 255, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 4 of Article 191, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 5 of Article 191, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The executors have been charged under Part 3 of Article 255, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 4 of Article 191, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 5 of Article 191, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

All participants of the criminal organization have been detained. A motion has been submitted to the court regarding the selection of a preventive measure in the form of detention without setting the amount of bail for the suspects.

“The funds stolen from the budget must be returned to the state in full. And this applies not only to this case. To all those eager to enrich themselves on defense or the army, I warn you — you will be held accountable with all severity,” emphasized the Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being conducted under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the Defense Sector of the Eastern Region by the Investigative Department of the National Police in the Kharkiv region with operational support from the 7th Department (servicing the Kharkiv region) of the DSR of the National Police of Ukraine).

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.