Czech Republic punishes Ukrainian woman for refugee housing fraud

Alina Tsvihunova, a Ukrainian, was sentenced to two years in prison for fraud with state benefits in the Czech Republic, suspended for 28 months.

This information is reported by the Czech newspaper Novinky.

On Monday, the district court in Klatovy convicted the 28-year-old woman of misuse of state funds.

The investigation found that Tsvihunova submitted false applications for housing assistance for Ukrainian citizens who received temporary protection in the Czech Republic. As a result, she received more than 300 thousand crowns, while another 2.5 million crowns remained unpaid to the state.

“The defendant pleaded guilty and compensated for the damages. The verdict is final,” said the head of the court, Petr Šperk.

The fraud lasted from March 2023 to February 2024. The woman filed false statements about providing free housing to foreigners who had received temporary protection due to the war in Ukraine, using the personal data of residents that she found on social networks. According to prosecutor Barbora Marešová, the number of false statements reached hundreds.

At a preliminary hearing, Tsvihunová expressed regret for her actions, explaining them by difficult life circumstances. After moving to Prague to work, her earnings did not cover housing costs, which exceeded 20 thousand crowns per month, as well as her son’s insurance costs of 50 thousand crowns. She later moved to the Netherlands.