The head of the firefighting unit in Ternopil is suspected of misappropriating 300,000 UAH intended for paving stones.

In the Ternopil region, the head of one of the fire departments is suspected of abusing his official position during repairs. The man signed documents under which a company purchased paving stones for the improvement of the rescue station at inflated prices. As a result, an excess of 300,000 UAH was spent from the budget.

During the investigation, law enforcement established that a local entrepreneur had entered into a contract with the rescuers for the major repair of part of the covering of the adjacent territory of the rescue post. The businessman procured paving stones for this purpose but paid inflated prices for them.

Despite this, the entrepreneur included in the act of completed works the costs incurred for the design work and the cost for conducting author's supervision, even though these services were not stipulated in the previous contract with the State Emergency Service. Additionally, after the repairs, the businessman provided the acts of completed works to the head of the fire department.

“The head of the fire and rescue unit, fully aware of the inflated costs in the documents, signed them, resulting in the entrepreneur receiving an excess payment of nearly 300,000 UAH. As a result of the official's unlawful actions, the state fire and rescue unit incurred losses in the aforementioned amount,” – reported the Ternopil regional prosecutor's office on Friday, January 10.

For these actions, prosecutors have notified the head of the state fire and rescue unit of suspicion under part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Abuse of official position for the purpose of obtaining any unlawful benefit for another individual). The man faces probation for up to three years or restriction of liberty for up to three years, or imprisonment for the same period, with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in specific activities for up to three years, along with a fine ranging from two hundred fifty to seven hundred fifty non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens.