Oleh Belonozhko, the former Deputy Head of the Poltava Oblast Council, has avoided criminal liability for official forgery and misappropriation of budget funds due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The Oktyabrsky District Court of Poltava dismissed the criminal case against the official, who in 2023 traveled abroad under the guise of an official business trip but instead flew to Portugal for personal reasons.
According to the investigation, in March 2023, Oleh Belonozhko obtained approval for an official business trip. The stated purpose of the travel was to resolve housing and humanitarian issues for internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, immediately after crossing the Ukrainian state border, the official traveled to Warsaw, where he boarded a flight to Portugal, where he owns an apartment. For the duration of this trip, Belonozhko unlawfully received 18.1 thousand UAH in salary from the regional budget.
Law enforcement agencies classified the official’s actions as forgery by an officer and misappropriation of property through abuse of office. Since the charges fell into the categories of minor and moderate offenses, the statute of limitations for these crimes ranges from 1 to 3 years.
Due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, the court was legally required to dismiss the case and release the former official from liability. Along with the dismissal, the judge canceled all previously imposed restrictive measures:
«The preventive measure applied to the accused is to be canceled, the bail in the amount of 60.5 thousand UAH is to be returned, and the seizure of property seized during the investigation is to be lifted.»
Notably, the costs incurred for forensic examinations, totaling 65.1 thousand UAH, will not be recovered from the defendant. According to the court’s decision, these procedural expenses will be fully compensated from the state budget of Ukraine.