The National Police has announced large-scale searches taking place simultaneously in 70 medical institutions throughout Ukraine. These actions are related to an investigation into possible schemes for embezzling state budget funds allocated for the treatment of citizens under the state medical guarantees program.
This is reported by Finway
Nature of the Suspicions and Scale of Losses
According to preliminary information, law enforcement officials are identifying and documenting cases of providing fictitious medical services and manipulating data in the electronic health care system. Investigators estimate that the potential losses could amount to hundreds of millions of hryvnias, indicating significant scale of abuses.
“Police are documenting schemes for embezzling budget funds that were intended for the treatment of Ukrainians under the medical guarantees programs. This involves fictitious medical services and data manipulation in the electronic health care system. Preliminary estimates suggest that the losses could reach hundreds of millions of hryvnias,” the statement reads.
Conducting Investigative Actions and Possible Consequences
The police clarified that details regarding the locations of the searches are currently not disclosed for investigative reasons. The measures are being carried out by employees of the Main Investigative Department of the National Police, the Department of Strategic Investigations, as well as regional units in cooperation with prosecutors, the Ministry of Health, and the National Health Service of Ukraine.
Pre-trial investigations are being conducted regarding the embezzlement and misappropriation of property, abuse of office, official forgery, interference with automated systems, official negligence, and money laundering. The penalties for these offenses can include up to 12 years of imprisonment with possible confiscation of property.
The Ministry of Health emphasized that it is actively assisting law enforcement and the National Health Service in their investigative actions, highlighting the systematic efforts to prevent abuses within the Medical Guarantees Program.
Further details regarding the results of the searches will be released by the police after the completion of the investigative actions.