The investigation into the case of "Mykolaiv Funeral Service" has been ongoing for nearly three years, but there are still no results.

In July 2022, local media in Mykolaiv reported that the investigative department of the National Police in the Mykolaiv region had opened a criminal case regarding a series of violations in the provision of funeral services.

The criminal case was not opened by chance: by that time, law enforcement had accumulated a vast amount of information about numerous violations occurring in the funeral services sector in Mykolaiv. These included illegal burials, bribery, embezzlement of budget funds, and more. Many of these violations fell under the articles of the Criminal Code.

The announcement of the opened criminal case was met with enthusiasm from the public—it was seen as another step in the fight against corruption, as rumors about the misconduct at the "Mykolaiv Funeral Service" had long been circulating among the residents. Searches were conducted at the enterprise, and documentation and computer equipment were seized.

One year later, as part of the investigation, exhumations were carried out at the Matveyevsky cemetery in Mykolaiv: several graves were opened where the deceased had been buried using budget funds.

The issue is that for a certain number of deceased individuals, no one had claimed their bodies from the morgue over the course of a year. This included lonely citizens, homeless individuals, and some other categories. Such deceased persons were buried using funds allocated from the city budget. In 2022-23, this amount was 4,000 hryvnias. Not a large sum, but quite sufficient to bury a person respectfully—especially considering that no funeral service, music, flowers, or subsequent meal is required in this case. The only necessities are a simple pine coffin and a plaque. There might even be some funds left over for remembrance.

During the exhumation, investigators discovered that in many graves, the deceased were buried in the most "economical" manner possible: no coffins, wreaths, or anything else—the bodies were packed in ordinary black plastic garbage bags. In some graves, instead of one body, two were found.

This immediately raised the question: where did the allocated 4,000 hryvnias for the burial of these individuals go? Whose pockets did it end up in? And how many deceased were buried in the "economical" manner? These questions are far from trivial, considering that the city budget allocates millions of hryvnias annually for such burials. It became clear that the scale of abuses and corrupt activities at the enterprise was much larger than previously thought. Overall, the results of the investigation, which everyone had been eagerly awaiting, promised to be loud and even sensational.

However, things turned out differently. The year 2023 ended, 2024 passed, and 2025 began. And—silence. There were no reports of the conclusion of the investigation or the transfer of the case to court—not to mention any court hearings. It was difficult to find out that the case had moved from the investigative department to Police Station No. 1 (formerly the Central District Police Department). Furthermore, the case was reclassified: Article 190, "Fraud," was reclassified to Article 191, "Misappropriation, embezzlement of property, or acquisition thereof through abuse of office." Additionally, part 2 of Article 364, "Abuse of power or office," was added.

After readers began calling the editorial office to inquire about the outcome of the investigation, a corresponding information request was submitted to the National Police in the Mykolaiv region. In a response signed by the deputy head of the investigative department, Igor Kucheryuk, it was stated that the investigation of this criminal case is being handled by Police Station No. 1 of the Mykolaiv Regional Police. It was further reported that the investigation is still ongoing—"measures are being taken regarding the actual circumstances of the committed offense." It was also noted that no one has been given written notice of suspicion in committing a crime during the pre-trial investigation.

Thus, the criminal case has been under investigation for almost three years—let's recall that it was opened in July 2022—and there are no results. Furthermore, there isn't a single suspect.

This inevitably raises the question: what have the investigators been doing for almost three years? How much longer will they investigate this case? And most importantly: why is the investigation progressing at such a slow pace?

To get answers to all these questions, it was necessary to consult specialists. A police officer with many years of experience, on the condition of confidentiality, shared the following with us. Judging by what is happening with this criminal case, it seems they want to "hush it up" or "let it slide." If the investigator is interested, there are many ways to achieve this. For instance, one can order a variety of expert examinations, each of which can take several months. New witnesses can be found and summoned for questioning: once questioned, a document is added to the case, and the investigator can move on. There are many other tricks as well.

The fact is that the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine does not establish a maximum time limit for investigations. The code specifies a maximum time only for criminal proceedings that have suspects—then the investigation must be concluded within 12 months. Now it is clear why no one has been informed of any suspicion in this criminal case thus far? Once a single suspect appears, the case must, whether one likes it or not, be concluded within a year. Otherwise, one can take as long as needed to establish the "actual circumstances of the committed offense."

Of course, investigators do not always resort to such tactics—delaying the investigation can lead to repercussions. They only do this when there is either deep personal interest or a "top-down" directive.

Regardless, a case that promised to be loud and even sensational has turned into an ordinary "hanging case." There are more than enough signs that the case is being "hushed up."

Meanwhile, the situation in the funeral services sector in Mykolaiv has not improved. Reports continue to come in from citizens about numerous violations and abuses by officials, embezzlement of budget funds, extortion from the relatives of the deceased, and the imposition of additional and costly "services" on grieving relatives, etc. Why hold back—after all, no one faces punishment.