Kyiv Red Cross organization appeals to law enforces due to violations in Pechersk organization reported in hotline call – head of city organization
The Kyiv city organization of the Ukrainian Red Cross (URC), thanks to a message to the information hotline, discovered violations in the Pechersk district organization of the URC and transferred the materials to law enforcement agencies, Head of the Kyiv city organization of the URC Tetiana Hoyenko has said, adding that no violations were found in other district organizations of the URC in the capital city.
"We recently launched an information hotline to which every citizen can report certain facts of abuse, inappropriate attitude towards them or other persons by society volunteers or officials," she said at a press briefing hosted by the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency on Friday.
A message about violations by the former Head of the Pechersk district organization of the URC Ksenia Skrypnyk was received on the hotline, following which an internal audit was carried out and official inconsistencies and abuses were established, the head of the city organization said.
"An act of the commission that carried out the inspections was drawn up about this. Skrypnyk was removed from her position on February 7, 2024," she said.
Hoyenko stressed that, despite the reputational risks, a decision was made to transfer materials about offenses to law enforcement agencies and make this information public.
"We did not hush up this situation. I personally, as a higher-level manager [...] filed an official appeal with the law enforcement agencies so that this situation could be given a legal assessment," she said, adding that on the basis of the appeal, law enforcement agencies registered criminal proceedings and launched an investigation.
According to the head of the city organization, on February 16, Skrypnyk was dismissed from her position. On May 8, investigative proceedings were carried out and significant offenses were revealed.
"Unfortunately, such cases occur, even in such a transparent society as ours. [...] I personally and the entire society work transparently and honestly. […] There can be no abuse, no fraudulent actions, no thefts in our team," Hoyenko said.
She also informed that inspections of the work of district organizations are carried out on an ongoing basis. According to her, after the facts of violations were established in the Pechersk district organization, inspections were carried out in other structural divisions of the city organization of the URC and no offenses or abuses were established.
According to Hoyenko, the organization also actively cooperates with law enforcement agencies, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.
"In these difficult times, the Ukrainian Red Cross supports the principles of honesty and openness, providing the opportunity for citizens to report any violations through the Integrity Line,"she said.
The Integrity Line allows you to make complaints or reports of any shortcomings in a safe way and every report is taken seriously. Citizens can seek help via a hotline, secure web portal or email, ensuring their anonymity.
The hotline phone number: 0 800 357 100.
Link to the Integrity Line portal: https://redcross.ethics.help/web/uk.
All communication channels are secure and anonymity is guaranteed.