In Kyiv, an official paid a salary to a "ghost employee" for years

In the capital, law enforcement officials have exposed an official at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine who organized a long-standing scheme to embezzle public funds by paying a salary to a person who did not actually work.

This was reported by the press service of the Kyiv police.

According to the investigation, the head of the institution fictitiously hired her acquaintance, first as a lead engineer and later as a chief specialist in the sector. However, the “employee” never showed up for work and did not perform any job duties.

Despite this, the official systematically entered false data about allegedly worked hours into the timesheets. These documents served as the basis for calculating the salary.

“As a result of these actions, between October 2018 and February 2025, the state unjustifiably paid the fictitious employee over 1.1 million UAH,” law enforcement officials reported.

The organizer of the scheme has already been charged with official forgery and embezzlement of property on an especially large scale. Her acquaintance is charged with using forged documents and aiding and abetting the crime.

The issue of imposing preventive measures is currently being decided. If found guilty, the women face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Earlier in Kyiv, the director of a charitable organization took money to purchase a car for a Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemember but did not buy the vehicle. The woman will be tried for fraud.

Earlier in Kyiv, a fraudster who deceived volunteers and military personnel was detained.

In Berdychiv, two people were detained on suspicion of “extorting” money from a soldier’s wife. The suspects “extorted” a non-existent debt from the common-law wife of a Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemember.