Contractor from Mykolaiv region accused the investigation of falsification

A contractor from Mykolaiv region is on trial for alleged embezzlement during a roof repair, but he says the expert examination was falsified. Why his complaints have been "walking" between the SBI, police and prosecutors for years without any result.

The contractor told this to the Crime.NET publication.

Mykola Zinets, a construction worker from Mykolaiv region accused of misappropriating budget funds while repairing the roof of a fire garage in the village of Sofiyivka, is trying to challenge the expert opinion that became the basis for opening criminal proceedings. According to the contractor, he filed a number of appeals to law enforcement agencies demanding that the expert opinion be recognized as false, but received formal refusals or redirections between different institutions.

In particular, he appealed to the State Bureau of Investigation to recognize the conclusion of Volodymyr Pshenychnyi, a specialist from the Mykolaiv Scientific Research Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as deliberately false. However, the SBI replied that they did not have such authority, as the prosecutor is responsible for overseeing compliance with the law during the pre-trial investigation.

Zints' appeal to the Pervomaiskyi District Prosecutor's Office also had no result. They explained that after changes in the law, the prosecutor's office no longer has the right to check the legality of the experts' actions. Thus, the builder was effectively sent "in circles".

The contractor's complaint was also forwarded to other institutions: The National Police sent it to the Mykolaiv NDECC, which sent it back to the SBI, which had already refused to consider it. Eventually, the SBI indicated that this criminal proceeding was under the jurisdiction of the police, which finally closed the circle of appeals.

The roof of the garage for firefighting equipment in the village of Sofiyivka, Pervomaisk district, was repaired by Zints's company. Criminal proceedings regarding the alleged embezzlement were opened in January 2023, but active investigative actions began only at the end of 2024.

In January 2025, both the businessman and his partner were notified of suspicion. The contractor believes the case is artificial and said it was an attempt to put pressure on the business. He insisted on a second, independent examination. The case is currently being considered by the court.

The police are also investigating an alleged collusion between officials of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration and an Odesa-based company during the reconstruction of the water supply system. According to the investigation, the contracts were awarded without open tenders, and the costs could have been inflated, which is what law enforcement is currently checking.

Анна Бальчінос