Mayor of Pivdennoukrainsk Onufriyenko is accused of document forgery and causing damage to the community
The court obliged the police to initiate a criminal case based on the statement of the Deputy Mayor of Pivdennoukrainsk, Serhiy Hornostay, who accuses the head, Valeriy Onufriyenko, of document forgery and illegal employment of an official, resulting in a loss of over 910,000 hryvnias for the community, according to him.
In June 2021, the mayor signed an order appointing a woman to the position of chief specialist in the public relations department, who presented a diploma from Moscow State University. This document did not undergo the nostrification process in Ukraine and does not confirm higher education.
The mayor allegedly forged two official documents, including the appointment order and the conclusion of a special check, which contained false information about the candidate’s higher education. Thus, he could be charged with official forgery.
The police refused to initiate a criminal case, citing "lack of grounds."
The court agreed with Hornostay’s arguments. The Voznesensk Department of the National Police was obliged to enter the information into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Articles 191 and 366 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Valeriy Onufriyenko became the mayor of Pivdennoukrainsk in 2020. However, by June 2022, city council deputies suspended him from performing his duties. This decision was made amid accusations of the mayor’s self-removal from work after the start of the full-scale invasion, holding unproductive meetings, and reports of aggressive behavior.
In April 2024, Onufriyenko returned to the mayor’s office by his own order. He signed a document terminating the powers of council secretary Denys Kravchenko and approved his return with another order. Thus, the current mayor formally reinstated himself in the position, relying on court decisions despite the criminal proceedings regarding the assault of a subordinate.
04 September 2025 г., 22:24
