The State Bureau of Investigation has made a high-profile statement regarding possible corruption activity by the former head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Medical and Social Expert Commission
According to law enforcement officials, she is currently suspected of concealment of property and submitting false declarations, which caused significant financial damage to the state. As reported by the DBI’s press service, investigators, in collaboration with representatives of the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, established that the ex-head of the commission, whose name is not being disclosed by officials at the moment, deliberately provided false data in her official documents for 2023, hiding assets and financial resources. According to the investigation’s estimates, these assets total over 3 million hryvnias. This constitutes a serious violation of the law and opens the path to criminal proceedings for abuse. Sources familiar with the situation from law enforcement agencies indicate that the person in question is Natalia Abramenkova — the former head of the commission in Dnipro. Her name has been mentioned in connection with an investigation initiated as early as 2024 by journalists from the "Hromadske" program. The investigation focused on possible abuses related to issuing fake disability certificates for military reservists. What most outrages the public is the fact that in her declaration for the past year, Abramenkova did not report real estate in a prestigious residential complex of the city, as well as a car belonging to her husband. She also failed to disclose the income of her family and her own financial assets held in bank accounts. As a result, investigators established that the financial information provided in her declaration is clearly false, which is a violation of the law and suggests an intent to evade responsibility. The legal qualification of the event involves Article on false declaration, which under Ukrainian law can lead to up to two years of imprisonment. At the same time, the investigation does not stop solely at this article. According to the DBR’s press service, the investigation is ongoing and includes checks concerning the possible involvement of the suspect in issuing fake disability certificates for military reservists — so-called false documents that have a significant impact on military records and social protection of the population. The DBI investigation continues, and all circumstances of the case are being established, including any potential cover-up by the official involved in multi-million schemes related to concealment of property and abuse of power. The issue of the level of corruption risks within the region’s medical and social commissions, as well as public trust in the system of state authorities, which should guarantee transparency and integrity in its procedures, remains urgent. It is worth noting that the society is responding to this news with suspicion and expectations of fair and objective justice. Cases of officials’ abuse of power and concealment or misuse of authority seriously undermine the reputation of a system that is supposed to protect citizens’ interests and fight corruption. Therefore, the ongoing investigation, which is still in the stage of clarifying all details, will be a crucial test for Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in ensuring the rule of law and combating high-level corruption abuses.