Former Head of State Registration Office Faces Charges
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has formally notified a former director of the State Registration Department at the Central-Western Interregional Office of the Ministry of Justice, based in Khmelnytskyi, of suspicion in a case involving false asset declarations. She is accused of concealing a bank account in Austria that holds over $534,400—equivalent to 19.5 million Ukrainian hryvnias.
The charges stem from a full audit of her declaration conducted by the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC). The suspect now faces liability for knowingly submitting inaccurate information in her declaration, in violation of Article 366-2, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Procedural oversight of the case is being handled by the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor's Office.
Additional Case Details
Notably, the suspect is a relative of the former head of the Khmelnytskyi Medical-Social Expert Commission, who is also under investigation for illegal enrichment. Law enforcement authorities are currently investigating the origin of the funds held in the Austrian account.
'In line with Article 62, Part 1 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven through lawful procedures and established by a court's guilty verdict.'
This case underscores the ongoing efforts to combat corruption within Ukraine's public institutions. The exposure of false declarations and hidden assets highlights the intensified work of the NAPC and other law enforcement agencies in scrutinizing the financial transparency of officials. Investigations like this could have significant implications for shaping future anti-corruption policies and enhancing public trust in state bodies.
This recent case is not an isolated incident, as evidenced by the ongoing investigations into other public officials. For instance, a similar situation has emerged involving the former head of a military enlistment office in the Kirovohrad region, who is now facing charges related to undeclared vehicles. Such cases reflect a broader trend of increasing scrutiny over asset declarations and financial activities of government employees. To learn more about this parallel investigation, see the details in our article on undeclared assets in the Kirovohrad region.