Charitable foundation that embezzled donations to Armed Forces of Ukraine exposed: six members of criminal group detained, - SSU. PHOTOS
The Security Service and the National Police have dismantled a large-scale scheme to embezzle charitable contributions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which operated in the south and east of Ukraine.
This was reported by the Security Service of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.
As noted, as a result of complex measures in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa and Kamianske, six members of a criminal group who misappropriated donations for the defence of Ukraine were detained simultaneously.
It was established that the offenders, posing as volunteers, collected funds allegedly to provide supplies to Ukrainian soldiers at the frontline. However, the dealers allocated only 10% of the total amount of contributions to the frontline, and distributed the remaining 90% among all participants in the scheme.
According to the SSU, the scheme operated under the guise of a charitable foundation set up in Dnipro by a local repeat offender under investigation for drug trafficking. He involved nine other accomplices in the scheme, who were dressed in military uniforms for conspiracy. However, only two of the participants in the deal were related to military service (they were veterans).
To collect donations, the defendants reportedly dispersed to different cities, where they set up cash boxes on the main streets. In one of the episodes alone, law enforcement officers documented the embezzlement of UAH 556,000 in charitable aid.
During the searches of the foundation's office and the suspects' residences, the law enforcement seized computer equipment, smartphones and draft records with evidence of the crimes. The money collected as donations for the Armed Forces of Ukraine was also found in the possession of the criminals.
The head of the foundation and five of his accomplices have now been notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 201-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal use of humanitarian aid, charitable donations or free aid for profit, committed by a group of persons during martial law).
The investigation is currently underway to bring all perpetrators to justice. The offenders face up to 7 years in prison with confiscation of property.
"We would like to emphasise that this criminal proceeding concerns only one charity and has no connection with other volunteer and charitable organisations in Ukraine. The SSU highly appreciates the volunteer and charity movement that exists in our country. We urge citizens to help the Security and Defence Forces in every way possible, but to be careful not to fall for fraudulent schemes," the SSU said.
