National Police confirmed that searches were taking place at universities but did not specify exactly which educational institutions were undergoing investigative actions, Suspilne wrote.
The Prosecutor General's Office announced the exposure of a scheme to embezzle budget funds at KNUCA on March 27.
Investigators conducted over 20 searches at the residences of those involved, as well as on the premises of the Kyiv University of Culture.
Searches were specifically conducted at the property of the university's former rector, Mykhailo Poplavskyi, Babel's sources confirmed. At the same time, Poplavskyi has not yet been served with a notice of suspicion, and the actions are currently limited to searches, RBC-Ukraine reported, citing sources.
KNUCA officials colluded with Education Ministry officials to organize a scheme to illegally seize budget funds allocated under a program for training personnel at higher education institutions, according to the investigation.
This refers to the "Training of personnel by higher education institutions and ensuring the activities of their practice bases" program, under which the university received about 760 million UAH ($17.3M) from the state budget in 2022-2023. However, a portion of these funds was cashed out and distributed among the scheme's participants.
The criminal proceeding is being investigated under Part 3 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — misappropriation or embezzlement of property in particularly large amounts. The article's sanction provides for up to eight years in prison with the deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years.