Director of Odesa utility company suspected in generator case released

The interim mayor of Odesa, Ihor Koval, has dismissed Oleh Pleshko from his position as head of the Odesa Electrotechnical Maintenance and Installation Enterprise.

The corresponding order was published by the press service of the Odesa municipality, according to the Center for Public Investigations.

The grounds for the order were Oleh Pleshko's statement and the submission of the Department of Municipal Economy. Earlier, Oleh Pleshko was removed from office because he was under suspicion in the case of humanitarian generators that were used for other purposes.

On October 10, prosecutors of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office notified eight officials of the Odesa City Council and the director of the enterprise of suspicion of embezzlement of budget funds, forgery and negligence. At that time, the prosecutors notified Oleh Pleshko, his deputy and an engineer of the company, among others, of the suspicion.

According to the investigation, the suspects misused humanitarian power generators received from foreign partners and Ukrainian government agencies. Instead of providing power to critical infrastructure facilities, the generators were operating near restaurants, car washes, and private homes.

A technical supervision engineer of the City Council's Construction and Management Department has been given suspect status for improper performance of duties during technical supervision of the maternity hospital's overhaul. Law enforcement officers also served a notice of suspicion to the head of the Center for Financing and Economic Activity of Institutions and Institutions of the Education System of Kyiv District for improper performance of duties, which led to excessive transfer of funds to the company.

It all started when journalist Iryna Hryb reported that the generators were found in the Vinobroteria restaurant owned by Olga Grytsenko, who was called the girlfriend of the then mayor of Odesa, Hennadiy Trukhanov. One generator was also found at the residence of Vitaliy Tsurenko, deputy director of the municipal economy department of the Odesa City Council, the mayor himself, and at the CARat car wash.

On October 17, Stepan Cheglatonev, Deputy Director for Operations and Maintenance of the utility company, was appointed as the temporary acting director of the utility.

Кирило Бойко