The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) and the National Police have conducted searches in the building of the Ukrainian Social Policy Ministry as part of an investigation into the assistance by ministry officials in carrying out illegal import of goods into Ukraine without payments to the state budget, as well as embezzlement of budget funds.

"The Prosecutor General's Office, together with the National Police, carried out searches at the Ukrainian Social Policy Ministry," the press secretary of the prosecutor general, Larysa Sarhan, wrote on her Twitter page on Thursday, September 28.

The PGO's press service, in turn, reported that the PGO department for investigating crimes committed by criminal organizations was investigating criminal proceedings against officials of the Social Policy Ministry regarding their assistance to the heads of commercial structures in conducting illegal imports of goods into Ukraine, without paying taxes and making compulsory payments to the state budget, as well as due to the embezzlement of budget funds sent for the recreation of school-age children and socially unprotected categories of the population, on the grounds of a criminal offense under Part 2, Article 364 (abuse of power or office) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the PGO, on Thursday, September 28, searches were conducted in the office of a deputy minister for social policy and other ministry officials.

"The pre-trial investigation currently continues. The necessary investigative actions are being carried out for the purpose of a full and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of the offenses committed," reads the report.