Law enforcement officers together with the Security Service of Ukraine exposed and eliminated in Dnipro, a criminal group that caused more than 34 million hryvnias to the city’s budget through fictitious purchases of services in the SMM sector. According to sources, the organization included representatives of the city government, the head of the utility company and a number of individuals who had nothing to do with marketing services.
The key figure in this scheme was a 38-year-old entrepreneur who had previously cooperated with utility companies in the field of advertising. With the support of local officials, he organized the winning of the tender for advertising services, involving 11 controlled entrepreneurs. However, as the investigation found out, these entrepreneurs in real life worked in completely different fields — from construction and taxis to manicures and the sale of electrical appliances. They had nothing to do with providing professional social media services.
For three years, controlled natural persons-entrepreneurs concluded contracts with the utility company for SMM services to cover the activities of the city council through various media and social networks. However, the actual costs of advertising were minimal, and a large part of the funds, about 34 million hryvnias, was cashed out and distributed among the members of the criminal group.
During the investigation, 16 searches were conducted in the residences and workplaces of those involved in the case, where mobile phones with compromising correspondence, bank cards, original financial documents and other evidence of criminal activity were seized.
A total of ten persons, including the organizer, were charged with embezzlement of property by abuse of official position, committed under martial law and in particularly large amounts. Nine participants were detained, and one of them has been hiding abroad since last year.
