This is reported by Kyiv24
A large-scale fraud involving public procurement of hard cheese for a psychiatric hospital has been uncovered in Kyiv, resulting in significant losses to the city budget.
Scheme of Fund Misappropriation in Procurements
Law enforcement officials have reported suspicions against an official from the Svyatoshyn Psychiatric Hospital, who was responsible for organizing public procurement of food products. The investigation revealed that in 2024, she signed a contract with an entrepreneur for the supply of food products, including hard cheese, for the facility, which is under the jurisdiction of the Kyiv City State Administration.
According to the investigation materials, the procurement was conducted at a price inflated by one and a half times, as confirmed by expert conclusions. Over the course of a year, the hospital received more than 3.2 tons of cheese; however, for these supplies, over 560,000 hryvnias were illegally transferred from the capital’s budget to the account of the entrepreneur, who specializes in wholesale food trade.
Damages Incurred and Further Actions
As a result of the fraud, the Kyiv community suffered financial losses, as significant amounts were spent irrationally, and the cheese was purchased at greatly inflated prices. Investigative actions are currently ongoing, and the official is suspected of committing a criminal offense, with the case materials transferred to the court.
“The suspect, who is responsible for public procurements, embezzled over 560,000 hryvnias from the capital’s budget on wholesale cheese purchases.”