Scheme for selling driver's licenses for tractor operators in Lviv region: investigation implicates ten individuals
Ten participants of a scheme to sell certificates for tractor-driver qualifications in Lviv region have been informed of suspicion. Among the suspects are two heads of the regional branch of the State Service on Consumer Protection, five of their specialists, as well as the director and methodologist of the "Lev" training center. According to the investigation, clients could avoid attending training for 15,000 UAH; the company received more than 1 million UAH.
Ten participants in a scheme to sell certificates for tractor and machinery operators in Lviv Oblast have been informed of suspicion of receiving improper benefits by a public official in a pre-arranged scheme involving a group of individuals. This was announced by the Lviv Oblast Prosecutor's Office on October 6.
According to the investigation, two leaders from different departments of the State Service of Consumer Protection and Food Safety in the Lviv region, along with a co-founder of a local company, organized the sale of certificates under the guise of paid educational services. This refers to the company "Production Educational and Qualification Advisory Center "Lev"", registered in January 2026; the company obtained a license from the Ministry of Education and Science for the training and professional development of tractor and machinery operators.
For 15,000 UAH, clients could forgo attending classes and still receive the necessary documents to obtain a certificate for tractor operator. The money was considered official tuition fees. According to the prosecutor's office, those who genuinely wanted to learn were being excluded.
Five specialists from the State Consumer Protection Service were involved in the scheme, as well as the director and methodologist of the training center. The specialists advised the center's management on document preparation, provided templates for forming training groups, and helped to draft rental agreements for specialized equipment in order to create the appearance of having a training base. The methodologist filled the company's website with fake information about instructors and entered data about "students" into the Unified State Electronic Database of Education.
The same specialists were members of the examination committees. According to the prosecutor's office, a thorough examination of the candidates' theoretical and practical knowledge was not conducted, and false information about successful completion of the exams was entered into the examination records.
According to law enforcement sources, the company's account received over 1 million UAH from at least 80 individuals between June and September of this year.
The court has ordered ten suspects to be held in custody with the possibility of posting bail. For one of the heads of the State Consumer Protection Service in the Lviv region, the bail amount is almost 1 million UAH. Six employees of the agency have already been suspended from their positions, and a motion regarding a seventh suspect is still under consideration by the court.