Rescuers ’treated’ with ordinary mud: scam worth nearly one million hryvnias at State Emergency Service’s rehabilitation centre has been exposed – State Bureau of Investigation. PHOTOS
Misappropriation of public funds has been uncovered in connection with the procurement of therapeutic mud for the ‘Odesa’ Medical Rehabilitation Centre of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigations, according to Censor.NET.
Ordinary mud instead of therapeutic mud
The acting head of the centre and the head nurse, together with representatives of private companies, organised the procurement of 24 tonnes of therapeutic mud worth almost 1 million hryvnias. The documents stated that the centre had received goods of the required quality and in full. In reality, ordinary mud of unknown origin was delivered to the facility, which did not correspond to the subject of the procurement.
To conceal the substitution, delivery notes and other documents were drawn up containing false information. On the basis of these, public funds were transferred to the private company.
Furthermore, signs of artificial competition in the tender were uncovered: the documents and seals of the winning company were kept in the same office as the documentation of firms that had formally participated in the procurement as competitors.
Announcement of suspicion
- It is noted that two officials at the rehabilitation centre have been notified of suspicion of aiding and abetting the misappropriation of property and official forgery (Part 5 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 191, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
- The director and manager of a private company are suspected of aiding and abetting the misappropriation of property, as well as of drawing up and using forged documents.
The State Bureau of Investigation is taking steps to recover the losses incurred by the state. The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the proceedings.
