Head of Mykolaiv utility company sent to jail for embezzlement

In Mykolaiv, a court imposed a preventive measure on the head of a utility company, Hryhoriy Patoka. He was also temporarily suspended from his position.

This was reported by Novosti-N.

On Friday, January 23, the Ingulsky District Court of Mykolaiv considered a motion to remove from office and impose a preventive measure on the director of the municipal specialized installation and maintenance enterprise, Hryhoriy Patoka.

The prosecution claimed that the official had embezzled budget funds worth over UAH 1.2 million. In this regard, Patoka is charged under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The prosecutor's office insisted on suspending the suspect from office for two months, arguing that there were risks of influencing uninterrogated witnesses, the possibility of destroying or distorting documents, and the likelihood of continuing criminal activity using his official position.

The defense denied these arguments, stating that the risks were based only on assumptions and were not supported by evidence. The defense lawyers emphasized that during the searches at Patoka 's place of residence and work, all the necessary documents had already been seized and were at the disposal of the investigation, so the allegations of the possibility of their destruction were unfounded.

In response, the prosecutor noted that the suspension from office was preventive and aimed at preventing possible future violations. Based on the results of the hearing, the court granted the motion and removed Hryhorii Patoka from office until March 20, 2026.

The court then proceeded to consider a preventive measure. According to the prosecution, none of the milder preventive measures would be able to ensure the proper procedural behavior of the suspect, so prosecutors asked for custody with an alternative bail of at least UAH 3 million.

The defense rejected these arguments, pointing out that after being notified of the suspicion, the official was in the hospital without security and did not try to hide or leave the country.

The defense also pointed to what they considered to be an excessive amount of the proposed bail, noting that it should be commensurate with the suspect's property status and not turn into a form of punishment. The court was offered to set bail in the amount of UAH 266,240.

During the hearing, Patoka himself said that he supports his wife and parents, and his actual salary after deductions is about 40 thousand hryvnias. He also explained that the funds specified in the declaration had been accumulated over many years and subsequently spent on the treatment of his family and household needs. The suspect called the criminal proceedings far-fetched and stated that he had no intention of hiding.

The prosecutor, in turn, drew attention to the data from the declaration for 2024, according to which the official's annual income exceeded UAH 1.24 million. In response, the suspect said that he actually received less due to a reduction in bonuses in 2025.

The defense also informed the court that the traffic lights involved in the case had been delivered, the equipment was available, and, in their opinion, there was no crime.

After examining the case file, the court retired to the deliberation room and subsequently decided to impose a pre-trial restraint on the official in the form of detention until March 20 with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 1.3 million.

The first court hearing, which was supposed to decide on the suspension of the official and the choice of a preventive measure, did not take place - he did not attend the hearing. When the suspicion was served, Hryhoriy Patoka 's condition deteriorated sharply, and he was taken to City Hospital No. 1.

Анна Бальчінос