Head of Kherson utility company left without punishment

The former head of a Kherson utility company was released from criminal liability due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. He was charged with official negligence.

This was reported by Anti-Corruption Dimension.

Kherson City Court closed the criminal proceedings against the former head of Khersonmisksvitlo utility company Andrii Pashynnyi, who was accused of negligence that caused losses to the city budget in the amount of over UAH 110 thousand.

According to the investigation, in 2017, the company entered into an agreement with SEA Electrotekhnika to reconstruct the outdoor lighting of Ushakova Avenue as part of a pilot project to replace old lamps with LED lamps. The total cost of the contract was over UAH 1.1 million. The contractor transferred part of the work to a private entrepreneur, concluding a separate contract with him for UAH 185 thousand, of which more than UAH 130 thousand were allegedly spent on the operation of the equipment.

The investigation found that Pashynnyi did not check the actual amount of work performed and did not demand supporting documents, but signed an acceptance certificate between Khersonmisksvitlo and SEA Electrotekhnika. On the basis of this act, more than UAH 770 thousand was transferred from the budget, of which experts assessed 110.9 thousand as overstated.

The prosecutor's office classified the director 's actions as official negligence under Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, believing that they caused significant damage to the public interest. However, the court released the former director from criminal liability due to the expiration of the statute of limitations - more than five years had passed since the incident. The seizure of his land plot was also canceled.

The prosecutor's office's civil claim for damages to Khersonmisksvitlo was left without consideration, noting that this issue could be resolved in a civilian manner.

In August, the director of the municipal enterprise was charged with embezzlement in Kherson. He faces up to eight years in prison. According to the investigation, from April 2023 to March 2024, he deliberately entered false information into official documents, including the time sheets of one employee.

Анна Бальчінос