A search of Lviv volunteers: police published recordings allegedly pointing to a fraud

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Lviv activist Svyatoslav Litynskyi, who earlier gave an interview to Lviv Now, is a witness in this criminal proceeding.
photo from facebook

photo from facebook

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On September 10, the National Police of Ukraine released recordings of phone conversations and a video of the suspicious transfer of a car requested by the Ukrainian military. The case involves Lviv volunteers Nazarii Ostrovskyi and Svyatoslav Lytynskyi, with whom we had talked recently (read the material: «State would have to support the volunteers.» Public activist Sviatoslav Litynskyi on criminal cases).

On the phone conversation recording, an unknown serviceman discusses with Nazarii and some Ihor the details of handing over two cars to him. After that, the transfer of the car and money is displayed on the video recording. Then, the unnamed serviceman reported to the police that his military unit needed cars, so they turned to volunteers. In the process, however, it turned out that the military had to pay for the vehicles.

According to Ihor Klymenko, the head of the National Police, the sale of humanitarian aid is the most common scheme used by pseudo-volunteers.

«We have documented one of such blatant facts recently. A military man in search of a car for his comrades in arms came across an announcement of a charity fund. However, as it turned out, it was necessary to pay for the cars – 5,500 euros for two vehicles. But in the act of acceptance and transfer to the military unit, the cost could not be mentioned: the sellers insisted on writing only ‘free humanitarian aid’,» – Klymenko noted.

The police claim that this scheme of earning money is used by two men who cover themselves with a number of charitable public organizations. Among them is the NGO «Nezalezhni» (Independent), the head of which is Svyatoslav Litynskyi. Actually, the latter is a witness in this criminal proceeding.

Read also: From brewing beer to fundraising for a jet. This is how a Lviv company continues its business while helping supply the army

According to Klymenko, one of the parties involved in the case negotiated the purchase of cars abroad through the «Nezalezhni» NGO, and cleared them at the border through other charitable funds, indicating that these cars would be given free of charge to the military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Both persons involved in the case are probably Nazarii Ostrovskyi and Ihor Plokhyi (Ostrovskyi himself mentioned him in a comment to the investigative journalist project «Our money. Lviv«, both were summoned to serve suspicions).

Let us recall that on the morning of September 8, Svyatoslav Litynskyi reported that the police had come to him with searches. The man himself was not at home as he had gone abroad to get another car for the Armed Forces. His wife opened doors to the police. It is known that earlier, the Holosiiv Court of the city of Kyiv had issued a decision to search the volunteer’s house. According to Litynskyi, the police tried to provoke him and other Lviv volunteers more than once, offering to sell humanitarian aid. Now, probably because nothing could be done before, they decided to «come and find something.»

It’s also known that another Lviv volunteer, Nazarii Ostrovskyi, was searched on the same day. He wrote about this on his page.

Subsequently, the Kyiv police announced that they had uncovered a fraudulent scheme, the participants of which were misappropriating humanitarian aid under the guise of a charity fund.

At the request of the volunteer community, at the next session of the Lviv Regional Council on September 20, the deputies plan to hear information from law enforcement authorities about the situation regarding searches and arrests of people engaged in volunteer activities in the Lviv Region.

Yulia Osym, translated by Vitalii Holich

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.

 



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