Will a relative of a dishonest official from Ivano-Frankivsk face trial?
In the next few days, an investigative group from the Committee on Physical Culture and Sport of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine will commence a probe into the unlawful actions of the director of the regional department, Mykhailo Stefankiv, in Ivano-Frankivsk.
This information was released by the chief of the Education, Youth, and Sports Department of the regional state administration, Serhiy Derevyanko.
He stated that the leader of the committee, Mykhailo Melnyk, had already paid a visit and consulted with the staff, following which he resolved to initiate his own inquiry.
As a reminder, a legal case had previously been initiated against Mykhailo Stefankiv, who heads the regional division of the Committee for Physical Education and Sports under the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The investigation was delegated to the municipal department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Yuriy Perepichka, the chief of the investigative unit of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs in Ivano-Frankivsk, reported that on June 17, 2014, subsequent to an audit of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Office of the Committee for Physical Education and Sports of the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ivano-Frankivsk Prosecutor's Office launched a preliminary investigation under Part 2 of Article 191 (misappropriation of property or funds via abuse of authority) and Part 1 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code (falsification of official documents) concerning the theft of budgetary resources through abuse of position.
To reiterate, employees of the department had earlier lodged a complaint with the prosecutor’s office, asserting that ever since his appointment in July 2013, Regional Director Mykhailo Stefankiv had continually breached the stipulations of his contract by granting himself extra bonuses and also by employing fictitious employees who were being paid salaries.
Following this, Mykhailo Stefankiv suggested that the head bookkeeper voluntarily resign, concurrently presenting the order for her termination.
The committee itself asserts that the chief accountant was on unpaid vacation, and the committee’s director possesses a corresponding declaration. It is noteworthy that she is a crucial witness, being in charge of calculating earnings and premiums. Furthermore, being a retiree, she is entitled to unpaid leave annually at any time of her choosing.
The prosecutor’s office is presently addressing this matter as well.
Daria Gavrilitsa, a partner at the Priority Law Center, indicates that the committee’s administration would be well-advised to temporarily relieve Mykhailo Stefankiv of his duties while maintaining his pay and title for the duration of the investigation, to forestall any attempts on his part to sway personnel and the inquiry.
“Article 22 of the Law on Public Service allows for the suspension of public servants from their responsibilities. Justifications for suspension encompass failure to execute official duties, resulting in casualties or inflicting material or moral harm upon a citizen, enterprise, institution, organization, or public association. The power to suspend a public servant from their obligations lies with the head of the governmental body where the public servant is employed,” she clarified.
Sources within the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council suggest that current regional council member and past deputy governor Roman Strutinsky, who is also related to Mykhailo Stefankiv, is currently exerting considerable effort to ensure that Stefankiv’s situation is adjudicated by the Tysmenytsia District Court within the city. This is the same court where Roman Strutinsky’s son, Ruslan Strutinsky, is employed.
We will refrain from conjecturing about the ramifications of such a family endorsement, as we are journalists, not adjudicators. We anticipate further evidence.
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