An official from the Capital Construction Department in Odesa has been brought to trial for abuse of office

An official from the Odessa City Council’s Capital Construction Department will stand trial for alleged abuse of office during repair and restoration work. According to the investigation, the Odessa budget suffered losses amounting to several million due to the overstatement of the scope and cost of the work performed.

This was reported by the press office of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Detectives from the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation in Odesa Oblast determined that the woman was responsible for technical supervision during the restoration and reinforcement of the foundation of a children’s center.

According to investigators, the official knew that some of the work specified in the contract had not actually been performed. Despite this, she signed documents that listed inflated volumes and costs for the work.

Based on these documents, the contractor was paid over 12.1 million hryvnias in budget funds, which, according to law enforcement officials, should not have been paid in that amount.

The official has been charged with abuse of office. The indictment has already been filed with the court. If found guilty, she faces three to six years in prison.

Separately, investigators have filed charges against the former and current directors of the contractor company. They are accused of embezzling public funds on an especially large scale.

Under this charge, they face seven to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property. Both men have been placed on the wanted list.

As reported by Intent, the case involves the head of the Production and Technical Department of the Capital Construction Directorate of the Odessa City Council. 

According to the investigation, in August 2020, the Capital Construction Department entered into a contract with Odessmiskbud LLC to carry out repair and restoration work to reinforce the foundations of the “Dyvosvit” Children’s and Youth Creative Center. The total value of the contract was over 46.3 million hryvnias.

In July, the court seized an apartment owned by the official as private property.

Анна Бальчінос