A high-profile case of abuse of the state program eVidnovlenie in Izyum led to the dismissal of the head of the city's military administration, Valery Marchenko. The Kharkiv Regional Military Administration (OVA) recommended his resignation, and a new candidate has already been approved by the Office of the President. This was announced by the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Synegubov, at a press conference on December 26.
The reason for the personnel changes was the revelations in the case of Deputy Marchenko, who was suspected of fraud with the state program eVidnovlenie. The investigation established that the official, who was also a member of the Commission for Consideration of Compensation for Destroyed Housing, developed a scheme to illegally appropriate budget funds.
Using fake documents, he organized the submission of an application for compensation on behalf of the owner of one of the houses in Izyum. With the help of a fake expert, a false inspection report of the house was created, which allowed him to obtain two housing certificates for a total of 1.5 million hryvnias.
The certificates were used to purchase housing in Kramatorsk, but the real value of the property turned out to be three times lower than the amount of the certificates. The difference was converted into cash and used to purchase a 2017 Nissan for the official's relative.
In addition to this episode, investigators discovered two more similar cases involving real estate in the town of Izyum and the village of Kamyanka. Even the official's relatives were involved in the criminal activity, in particular his wife's grandmother, who fictitiously sold her house for certificates.
The head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Synegubov, emphasized the inadmissibility of such abuses:
“Abuse on the ground during martial law is a crime not only against the state, but also against all Ukrainians who trust these programs.”
He noted that replacing the leadership of the Izyum MBA is only the first step in resolving the situation. Organizational procedures for appointing a new head are currently underway.
Deputy Marchenko was informed of suspicion under several articles, including appropriation of someone else's property by abuse of official position, attempted commission of this crime, and legalization of illegally obtained property. All crimes are qualified as having been committed under martial law, which only increases responsibility.
The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement officials promise to identify all those involved in the criminal scheme. This case has become another reminder of the importance of strengthening control over the use of public funds, especially in times of war.
