The head of one of the Ukrposhta branches in Transcarpathia was found guilty of abusing her official position after she used 170,000 UAH intended for pension and social assistance payments to play at an online casino. The woman later returned the entire amount, but could not avoid criminal responsibility. This was reported by the Judicial and Legal Newspaper.
The head of Ukrposhta in Transcarpathia used pension money for gambling
The Tyachiv District Court established that in September 2022, the woman simultaneously managed postal branches in the villages of Kryva and Hrushevo and was responsible for the safekeeping of cash intended for pension payments, government assistance, and housing subsidies.
On September 10, over 666,000 UAH was delivered to the branch for social payments. Of this amount, nearly 228,500 UAH was designated for pension payments, over 431,000 UAH for government social assistance, and over 7,000 UAH for housing subsidies.
According to the court's conclusion, the employee used 170,000 UAH of these funds for her personal needs. At the same time, the investigation concluded that she did not intend to permanently appropriate the money, so her actions were classified as abuse of official position.
The court in Transcarpathia imposed a punishment on the Ukrposhta employee
During the hearing of the case, the accused fully admitted her guilt. She explained that she transferred official funds to her personal bank cards through Ukrposhta's payment terminals, after which she used them to place bets in the online casino.
According to the woman, she had a gambling addiction and hoped to quickly return the lost amount, but did not manage to do so due to the discovery of the shortfall.
The court took into account that the accused voluntarily returned 170,000 UAH on September 12, 2022, had no prior convictions, sincerely repented, actively assisted the investigation, and has two minor children.
As a result, the court imposed a two-year probationary supervision, a fine of 6,800 UAH, and prohibited her from holding positions in state and municipal institutions related to organizational, administrative, or economic functions for two years.
It should be noted that the National Bank demands the removal of the head of Ukrposhta due to the fine.