Iryna Kutsenko (Yesenovich), a deputy from the party of former Odessa mayor Gennady Trukhanov "Trust in Business", has been charged with new suspicion. According to the investigation, in 2023-2024 she organized a scheme to embezzle budget funds allocated for programs to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and drug addiction. This was reported by the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in the Odessa region.
Investigators found that, as a member of the Odessa City Council's standing committee on health care, Kutsenko acted in collusion with six individuals, including officials of the Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control and employees of the City Council's Health Department. In total, the suspects received 7.5 million hryvnias in budget funds for the implementation of the city program.
According to the investigation, the participants in the scheme drew up acts of work performed, which artificially inflated the number of people who were allegedly provided with assistance, and also included services that were not actually performed. One of the individual entrepreneurs used in the program was created by Kutsenko's relatives, which, according to the investigation, allowed the appropriation of part of the budget funds. The total established damage is over 2.2 million hryvnias.
Seven participants, including the deputy, were charged under several articles of the Criminal Code: Part 3 of Article 28 (crime committed by an organized group), Part 1 of Article 366 (official forgery), Part 3 of Article 209 (legalization of proceeds of crime), Part 5 of Article 191 (embezzlement of property in especially large amounts). The investigation continues.
To ensure compensation for damages, the court seized the real estate and vehicles of the defendants. At the same time, as reported by the BEB, the deputy had previously transferred her property to the children - this happened back in the summer of 2025.
