Uzhhorod State Border Guard Service housing fraud: investigation completed

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) have completed the investigation into three persons suspected of embezzling over UAH 14 million during the construction of apartment buildings for border guards. On Aug. 29, 2022, the case file was disclosed to the defense for review before referral to court. The suspects are*:

•  the head of the Western Regional Department of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine;
•  the first deputy head of the Western Regional Department of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine;
•  he director of a developer company.

*positions as of crime date

The actions of the suspects fall under Part 5 Art. 191, Part 2 Art. 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. As the director of the company had left the country he was notified of suspicion in absentia and put on national and international wanted lists. The court granted permission to carry out a special pre-trial investigation against him.

As established, in September 2016, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and a developer company concluded an agreement for the construction of five apartment buildings in Uzhhorod for the border guard service employees. However, the construction was not finished, and the houses turned out to be unfit for living. Despite this, the officials signed acts of acceptance and transferred more than UAH 14 million to the developer company as if it had fully fulfilled the agreement.

On July 5, 2022, NABU exposed the above persons and notified them of suspicion.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered non-guilty in the commission of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until he or she is found guilty by court.