In the case of vegetable slicers and drums in the bomb shelter, the prosecutor’s office forgot about the main suspect

22.08.2023

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On August 18, 2023, the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office informed the public about the suspicion announcement against the head of the Education Department of the Dniprovskiy District in Kyiv City State Administration for embezzlement of funds in the procurement of food processing equipment. These are the same 12 sets of vegetable slicers that were purchased in December 2022 by the Education Department under the guise of shelter needs for over 1.5 million UAH. ($41000)

Based on the photos posted by the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office, it appears to be the former infamous director of the Municipal Enterprise «Animal Shelter», Olga Drozdova, who, after being fired, took the position of the head of the Administrative and Economic Department in the Education Department, where she could afford regular tourist trips to wealthy eastern countries.

More details were covered by «Active Citizens» in the article «Former director of the Municipal Enterprise «Animal Shelter», who was insisted to be fired by animal rights activists, was arranging tenders for vegetable slicers and drums».

According to the information provided by the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office, the actions of the suspect are qualified under Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – embezzlement of another person’s property through abuse of official position, committed under conditions of martial law.

«The suspect is an authorized person responsible for organizing and conducting procurement procedures and disclosing reports on contracts concluded without the use of an electronic procurement system in the Education Department of the Dniprovskiy District in Kyiv City State Administration. Abusing her official position and acting against the interests of the service, the official committed embezzlement of budget funds during the procurement procedure for ‘Equipment for public catering establishments’ (sets of food processing equipment in shelters)” (vegetable slicers with a set of attachments). The purchased goods were overpriced by almost 300,000 UAH, causing damage to the Education Department of the Dniprovskiy District in Kyiv City State Administration in the mentioned amount», — prosecutors reported.

According to the information available in “Active Citizens” regarding the officials of the Education Department of the Dniprovskiy District in Kyiv City State Administration, almost every year, Kyiv law enforcement authorities initiate criminal proceedings under the following articles:

In 2015, under Part 4 of Article 191 and Part 2 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Appropriation, embezzlement or seizure of property through abuse of official position) and Part 1 of Article 367 (Negligence).
In 2016, for committing a criminal offense under Part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Abuse of power or official position).
In 2017, based on signs of a criminal offense under Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Forgery with severe consequences).
In 2023, based on signs of criminal offenses under Part 4 of Article 191 (Appropriation, embezzlement, or seizure of property through abuse of official position) and Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Negligence) – regarding the purchase of vegetable slicers for shelters.

Therefore, for years, the Education Department of the Dnipro District in Kyiv City State Administration has been dubiously spending budget funds.

In this regard, the question arises: Did only Drozdova stand behind the equipment purchases, and her immediate supervisor, the head of the Education Department, Ivanina Natalia Vasilyivna, had no suspicions about anything for years?

Дроздова (по середині), Іваніна (зліва) під час засідання Громадської Ради при Дніпровській РДА у липні 2023 року

The editorial board of «Active Citizens» has received a copy of the Submission on the results of the disciplinary proceedings against the head of the education department of the Dnipro district in Kyiv state administration, Ivana N.V. The document reveals that:

1) Ivana did not properly fulfill her duties regarding the control of procurement of goods, works, and services, specifically making unjustified decisions regarding the purchase of goods for educational institutions during the period of martial law and failing to properly control the organization of procurement procedures in the education department of the Dnipro district in Kyiv state administration.

2) Ivana, as the head of the education department, submits budget requests to the financial department of the Dnipro district in Kyiv state administration and manages funds within the approved budget of the education department by the head of the district administration.

3) Agreements (contracts) and their amendments on behalf of the education department are signed by the head of the education department or an authorized person in accordance with established procedures.

The results of the disciplinary proceedings against the head of the education department of the Dnipro district in Kyiv state administration, Ivana N.V., revealed that she did not comply with the requirements of the KMDA order and did not ensure that information about procurement was entered into the information-analytical system of the “Kyivaudit” internet portal. Ten days before the publication of information about the procurement, she did not provide the Department of Internal Financial Control and Audit of the KMDA with justification for the appropriateness of the procurement. Within five days after the publication of information about the procurement, she did not provide the Department of Internal Financial Control and Audit of the executive body of the KMDA with the procurement identifier. The submission states that information about the procurement procedure is published in case there are no objections from the Department of Internal Financial Control and Audit of the KMDA after ten working days from the date of submission of relevant documents.

As we already know, a contract for the purchase of 12 sets of vegetable slicers for over 1.5 million UAH was concluded with complete disregard for clearly defined requirements. Moreover, some purchases were announced before information about them was entered into the «Kyivaudit» internet portal.

Despite gross violations that, as we see, were carried out by the Education Department of the Dnipro district in Kyiv state administration on a regular basis, the main manager of budget funds for education in the district was only reprimanded.

All these facts are known to the Dnipro District Prosecutor’s Office in Kyiv, which began investigating case No. 42023102040000097 for signs of criminal offenses under Part 4 of Article 191. The editorial office of “Active Citizens” has some materials related to the investigation, which, for understandable reasons, we will not publish until the investigation is completed.

These materials state that «pre-trial investigation has established that on December 19, 2022, the authorized person of the Department of Education of the Dnipro district in Kyiv state administration made a decision, documented by protocol No. 12/256, to make a purchase of ‘Equipment for public catering establishments (sets of equipment for processing food products in shelters)’ by concluding a procurement contract without using open bidding and/or an electronic catalog for a total amount of UAH 1,583,496.00». The prosecutor’s office sees violations of the Law of Ukraine «On Public Procurement» here.

It should be reminded that according to the submission on the results of the disciplinary case against the head of the education department in the Dnipro district of Kyiv state administration, Ivana N.V., she is the authorized person who signs agreements (contracts) and amendments to them on behalf of the Department of Education.

Therefore, the question remains as to why only the executor of dirty procurement with budget funds for Kyiv residents was suspected?

By the way, while the investigation is ongoing, Ivana and Drozdova continue to spend millions of budget funds almost every day. Here are some fresh tenders where the name of the suspect appears again.