SBU declared the suspicion to the deputy mayor of Chernihiv Viktor Herashchenko

Author:
Anna Kholodnova
Date:

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) declared the deputy mayor of Chernihiv on the activities of the councilʼs executive bodies about the suspicion of large-scale corruption.

This was reported in the press service of SBU.

The secretary of the Chernihiv City Council Oleksandr Lomako noted that the Chernihiv City Council "was searched again." According to him, the suspicion was received by the head of the staff for preparation for the 2023/24 heating season and curator of housing and communal services in the city Viktor Herashchenko. Lomako considers the actions of SBU "another attempt by officials from the center to paralyze the work of the city council and its executive bodies."

According to SBU, Herashchenko organized a scheme to embezzle budget money for the purchase of a new transformer for the local thermal power plant, which was damaged by Russian shelling in the spring of 2022. Already in July, the necessary equipment was purchased at a price twice the market price. This fraud cost the state more than 30 million hryvnias.

This amount was confirmed by forensic and commercial forensic and forensic economic examinations conducted by the Kyiv Research Institute of Forensic Examinations.

The investigators of the Security Service informed the official about the suspicion under part 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of power or official position). Currently, Herashchenko has been placed in custody with the possibility of paying a bail of 32 million hryvnias. The official faces up to six years in prison. The investigation is ongoing.