Head of military housing department in Odesa convicted of extortion

In Odesa, a court found guilty Andriy Muntyan, head of the contractual and claims department of the Odesa Housing and Maintenance Department of the Logistics Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to the publication "Anti-Corruption Dimension," the official was convicted of extortion and receiving a bribe for assistance in leasing military property.

He was fined UAH 51,000 and deprived of the right to hold senior positions in the defense sector for a year. In July 2024, Muntyan, who was responsible for organizing the lease of military property, decided to use his position for personal gain. He found a person who needed premises for his business. During the first meeting on July 22, 2024, on Armyska Street in Odesa, the official assured the entrepreneur that he could arrange for him to rent a non-residential premises of 143.1 square meters and a 60-square-meter technical site in a military camp on the balance sheet of the Ministry of Defense.

According to the investigation, the official explained in detail how he would influence the auction procedure, promised to speed up the registration, create a favorable price offer, prevent other bidders from entering, and take care of all technical actions from registration to payment control. For this, Andriy Muntyan asked for $200 per month, effectively a monthly fee for unimpeded rent.

On August 9, in the military camp, the official handed over the keys to the premises and signed documents. He then invited the man to the car and received the first monthly payment of $200.

Law enforcement officers found that on August 22, Muntyan already demanded $300 for signing the contract, and during the conversation offered to pay in advance for several months. The parties agreed on $400 as an advance payment for his further assistance and "resolving any issues."

On August 26, the official received $700 from the businessman on the territory of the military camp, after which he was detained by the police. In court, Andriy Muntyan pleaded guilty. He was charged with receiving an undue advantage. The court fined the official UAH 51,000, banned him from holding senior positions in the defense sector for a year, and recovered procedural costs of UAH 49,000.

Кирило Бойко