National Police operatives, together with the SBU military counterintelligence and the prosecutor's office, have uncovered a large-scale food embezzlement scheme at the Khmelnytskyi military hospital. This was reported by the Khmelnytskyi regional police.
Law enforcement officers have identified a group of individuals who were systematically stealing provisions intended for the military. The scheme involved the head of the food warehouse and the acting head of the hospital canteen. They were the ones who wrote off products — butter, cheese, cereals, canned goods, and other foods — supposedly for the needs of the institution.
Instead, the goods seized from the warehouse were handed over to civilian drivers who took them outside the hospital. Further sales took place through small local shops and entrepreneurs.
During another attempted sale — this time of 150 kilograms of food products — three suspects were detained on the spot. As part of the criminal proceedings, law enforcement officers conducted 14 authorized searches. During the investigation, $16,000, 115,000 hryvnias, almost 1,000 euros, as well as a significant amount of food and packaging materials were seized.
The detainees were informed of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - misappropriation or embezzlement of property through abuse of official position. The sanction of the article provides for 5 to 8 years of imprisonment.
The investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement officers are establishing the full range of individuals involved and checking whether those involved could have acted with the participation of other officials or intermediaries.
