Almost $90 000 were stolen — a large-scale corruption scheme was exposed in Odesa

Heads of substations in the Odesa Regional Center of Emergency Medical Aid and Disaster Medicine have signed up "dead souls" for work. Their salary was appropriated. The scheme worked for almost five years.

This was reported in the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

Details of the deal

According to the investigation, the heads of two emergency substations, their deputies, three senior paramedics and two doctors participated in the scheme. Every month, the suspects entered into the timesheets not only real employees, but also those who had been dismissed long ago and even those who were abroad. Several people never showed up for work at all. The participants of the scheme divided the salary and other payments accrued to all of them among themselves.

Therefore, from November 2019 to February 2024, the suspects embezzled more than UAH 3.7 million ($90 000).

What will happen to the doctors

Nine employees were informed about the suspicion of property misappropriation through abuse of official position. They face from five to eight years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of up to three years.

Two participants of the scheme have already been fired from emergency services. The police will ask for the dismissal of the rest.

It should be noted that in October 2023, Oleg Kiper, the head of Odesa RMA, scandalously fired the director of the Center for Emergency Medical Aid, Iryna Paramonova. According to the head of the region, the management of the institution overrated their salaries, despite the fact that the doctors did not have enough transport and medicines.

We will remind you that the Odesa oncology center is undergoing inspections due to numerous complaints from patients.

In addition, a hotline was created in the Odesa region for complaints about corruption in medicine.