Ex-director of Ukrposhta in Odesa sentenced to 5 years

The court has announced the sentence of Natalia Prykhodko, former director of the Odesa Directorate of Ukrposhta, sentenced to 5 years in prison with confiscation of property.

According to the case , in March 2017, Prykhodko, together with her subordinate (who had already died at the time of the sentencing), demanded a bribe of USD 9.6 thousand from an entrepreneur for assistance in concluding a lease agreement for Ukrposhta's premises. In exchange for this amount, the official promised to help prepare the necessary documents, conduct market research and set the starting price.

On October 4, 2017, she received the money through an intermediary in a cafe on Sadova Street in the center of Odesa. The amount of the bribe was more than 200 times the tax-free minimum, which is classified as a large-scale illegal benefit.

In court, Prykhodko pleaded not guilty. She stated that the meeting was an official one, and the conversation concerned only the condition of the premises and possible repair costs. In addition, she noted that she had no real authority to influence the lease decisions, as they were made through the Prozorro system and the central office of Ukrposhta.

The defense insisted that there had been a provocation by the whistleblower, who, according to the lawyer, had repeatedly been involved in similar cases and cooperated with law enforcement. In addition, the lawyer pointed to a violation of the defendant's right to a fair trial.

Despite these arguments, the court found the guilt proven. Audio and video materials, minutes of meetings, testimony of the whistleblower and other evidence were attached to the case, which confirmed the fact of bribery.

The court classified Natalia Prykhodko's actions under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - obtaining an undue advantage by an official by prior conspiracy, on a large scale. The judge sentenced the official to five years in prison with confiscation of all personal property, except for a share of the apartment, and banned her from holding managerial positions at state-owned enterprises for three years.

The verdict will come into force after the expiration of the appeal period.

Ірина Глухова