Former official of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration receives suspended sentence for fraud in bridge construction

A former official of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration pleaded guilty in the case of fictitious construction of a bridge for over UAH 39 million. He received a suspended sentence and a three-year ban on holding positions in the construction sector for negligence.

This was reported by Anti-Corruption Dimension with reference to the court verdict.

The Central District Court of Mykolaiv approved a plea agreement between the prosecutor and Oleksandr Nefyodov, former deputy director of the Urban Development Department of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration and head of the Capital Construction Department.

According to the court materials, Nefyodov was found guilty of official negligence, which led to the loss of UAH 39.4 million from the budget. This refers to an agreement concluded in November 2023 between the department and a contractor for the construction of a bridge across the Southern Bug between Bohdanivka and Kostiantynivka. The contract amount is UAH 44.4 million.

However, as law enforcement officers found out, from December 2023 to July 2024, there was almost no construction. Nevertheless, Nefyodov signed the documents on the full completion of the work. Although he had the opportunity to check the progress and scope of work, the official did not do so.

The case also involves other defendants, including the director of the contractor and employees of the department. According to the investigation, the director deliberately initiated the creation of fictitious certificates of completion, which were subsequently approved by the participants in the scheme, including Nefyodov.

The court found the former official guilty under the article on gross negligence. As part of the agreement with the prosecutor, he pleaded guilty.

He was sentenced to 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of two years. He will also not be able to hold public office in the construction sector for three years. In addition, Nefyodov has to pay a fine of UAH 12,750 and more than UAH 5,000 for the examination.

The former official is obliged to regularly report to the probation authorities and notify them of any changes in his place of residence or work. The court warned that in case of failure to comply with the terms of the agreement, the sentence could be reviewed.

The contractor who was supposed to build the bridge was a private small business called Mirazh, according to Prozorro.

In March of this year, the prosecutor's office sent an indictment to the court against Mirazh's director and a technical supervision engineer. According to the investigation, the company's director used the money to buy two cars and an apartment in Odesa, which are currently under arrest. He was taken into custody with the possibility of bail of UAH 40 million and faces up to 12 years in prison.

Анна Бальчінос