Head of construction department suspended in Pivdenoukrainsk on suspicion of embezzlement

The South Ukrainian City Court of Mykolaiv Region granted the investigation's motion to remove the head of the Construction and Repair Department of the South Ukrainian City Council from office.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations with reference to the decision of the Pivdenoukrainskyi City Court of Mykolaiv Oblast.

According to the official website of the Pivdenne City Council, this is Oleh Nesterenko, who is under investigation for embezzlement of budget funds during the implementation of a street lighting project in the village of Buzke, Voznesensk district.

Investigators of the Voznesensk District Police Department found that the head of the department, who had been in office since September 2024, allegedly committed a number of actions to inflate the prices of materials and works allocated by the city budget. The head signed a contract with a local company that carried out major repairs and lighting installation, the specification of which significantly overstated the prices of materials that did not correspond to the working project.

According to the investigation, in December 2024, the official entered into a contract and several additional agreements with the contractor, after which the work was paid for in non-cash form in the amount of more than UAH 424 thousand. According to the investigation, part of the funds was embezzled - budget losses are estimated at over UAH 127 thousand.

At the court hearing, the suspect objected to his suspension. He claimed that he was fully cooperating with the investigation and that all documentation on the facility had been seized and handed over to the balance sheet holder. In addition, the head of the department emphasized that he had no right to sign documents on his own in the absence of his deputy - he is currently serving in the Armed Forces, and his duties are partially assigned to another employee of the department who does not have the authority to sign key documents.

The judge ruled to grant the investigation's motion and remove the official from office until the end of the pre-trial investigation, i.e. until February 26, 2026 inclusive. A copy of the ruling will be sent to the mayor of Pivdenoukrainsk, and the decision is subject to immediate execution.

The suspension was imposed as a preventive measure to ensure that the investigation is not obstructed and to exclude the possibility of influencing witnesses or case documentation.

Intent recently wrote that the court took Oleh Nesterenko, the head of the Construction and Repair Department of the South Ukrainian City Council, under arrest.

According to the declaration, the official owns two apartments: one with an area of 49.6 square meters in partial joint ownership, the other - 36.7 square meters in sole ownership. His vehicles include a 1993 Opel Monterey and a newer 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid purchased for UAH 1.3 million.

The declaration also contains information about Nesterenko's income. For example, during the reporting period, he received a salary from the private enterprise Mearsbucks in the amount of over UAH 94 thousand, dividends from the same enterprise in the amount of over UAH 6.5 million, a salary in the city council in the amount of almost UAH 177 thousand, and a pension in the amount of over UAH 65 thousand. In addition, the official declared cash savings in the amount of USD 60 thousand.

In Mykolaiv, the court also imposed a pre-trial restraint on the head of the SMEP utility company, Hryhoriy Patoka. He was also temporarily suspended from his position.

Анна Бальчінос