Bail returned to deputy mayor of Pivdenne in bribery case

The court returned half a million bail to the deputy mayor of Pivdenne. He is suspected of helping an entrepreneur get a contract from the city council for a bribe.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Peresypskyi District Court of Odesa.

The judge considered criminal proceedings against Pivdennyi's deputy mayor for executive bodies of the council, the head of the housing and communal services department, who is accused of repeatedly receiving an illegal benefit on a particularly large scale.

According to the investigation, on January 3, 2024, the official received UAH 51 thousand for assisting an individual entrepreneur in participating in a tender for the repair of a municipal building, using his official position. The penalty for such an offense is 8-12 years in prison, confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions for up to three years.

Initially, the defendant was released on bail in the amount of 170 subsistence minimums, which amounted to more than half a million hryvnias. Part of this money belonged to the bailor, and part to the defendant's father.

The suspect's defense counsel filed a motion to change the measure of restraint to a personal commitment, citing the client's good procedural behavior and difficult circumstances for the bailors. In particular, the pledgor noted that due to martial law and job cuts, he needed to return the funds, and the defendant's father had a number of illnesses that required constant medical supervision.

The judge took into account that the defendant did not violate the bail conditions, has a permanent place of residence and was employed as a manager at Euro Tunnels LLC. Therefore, it was decided that a less stringent measure of restraint - a personal commitment - would be sufficient to ensure proper behavior during the trial.

The defendant was ordered to appear when summoned by the court, report any change of residence or work, and refrain from communicating with witnesses until January 6, 2026. At the same time, the court returned the entire bail amount of UAH 514,760 to the bailor. The ruling is final and not subject to appeal.

Recently, a large-scale ship resale scam was uncovered in Odesa region. According to the investigation, the scheme involved deputies of the Odesa Regional Council who transferred dozens of barges abroad through shell companies. It was found out that in August 2017, two deputies developed a plan to misappropriate 32 lighterers - cargo barges belonging to a state-owned company. They intended to use them to build larger vessels and make a profit.

Анна Бальчінос