Contractor imprisoned on suspicion of kickbacks in Mykolaiv street lighting

The director of a company that supplied street lighting equipment in Mykolaiv is suspected of embezzling budget funds in collusion with municipal officials. The court took him into custody.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Vitovsky District Court of Mykolaiv Oblast.

The judge chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for the director of the Limited Liability Company Scientific and Industrial Company Eastern European Energy Union. He is suspected of misappropriation of budget funds as part of a criminal group in collusion with officials of the utility company.

According to the investigation, from the beginning of April 2024 to February 2025, officials of the self-supporting construction mechanization unit, together with private business, implemented a criminal scheme to embezzle funds from the city budget. In particular, the head of one of the departments of the utility company, having information about the need for street lighting equipment, developed a plan to seize budget funds.

As part of this scheme, the official involved SEES LLC, whose director agreed to participate in the crime. The company submitted a fake commercial offer for the purchase of 65 street lighting control cabinets worth UAH 90 thousand per unit, for a total amount of almost UAH 5.4 million. This amount was agreed as the maximum expected value for the tender.

On October 4, 2024, Municipal Enterprise "GDMB" entered into an agreement with this company based on the results of a tender in the Prozorro system. According to the contract, deliveries were to be made by December 15. After the agreement was concluded, the director of the company handed over a bribe to an official of the municipal enterprise in the form of a kickback of UAH 595 thousand.

The court recognized that the suspect's actions pose risks - he could influence the investigation, destroy documents or go into hiding. Despite the request for a lighter measure of restraint - house arrest - the court granted the request of the investigator and the prosecutor, choosing custody.

The suspect is charged with committing a crime under Part 4 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - misappropriation of another's property by abuse of office on a large scale, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons, in wartime. The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment for a term of five to eight years and deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years.

In April, the investigator of the Main Department of the National Police filed a motion with the court to seize the property of the director of SEES. The purpose was to prevent the alienation of the property and to ensure compensation for damages. The investigator also asked not to notify the suspect of the motion's consideration. The court denied the request, stating that the arrest did not meet the stated purpose.

In another case, the court seized the property of one of the defendants in the case - the owner of several companies through which, according to the investigation, the scheme of misappropriation of budget funds was implemented. During the search, laptops, a cell phone, a hard disk, a notebook and cash were seized from him. The equipment and documents were also seized.

Анна Бальчінос