Head of Odesa Airport Olga Makohoniuk to appear in court

The head of Odesa Airport, Olga Makohoniuk, will stand trial for abuse of office, which caused the utility company losses of UAH 15.6 million. Due to her actions, the airport lost revenue, which has since been received by a private operator.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

Based on the results of the investigation, the prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office sent an indictment against Makohoniuk to the court. She is charged with abuse of office, which caused significant damage to the interests of the territorial community.

The investigation found that until the end of 2020, the utility company, as the operator of Odesa airport, received payment for standard services such as aircraft takeoff and landing services, parking, etc. The funds were supposed to go to the city's community.

However, SAPO prosecutors and NABU detectives gathered evidence that in 2020, the acting CEO deliberately failed to ensure the normal operation of the enterprise and facilitated the transfer of functions to a private company.

As a result, the utility company lost revenue, while the private operator made a profit. The community lost UAH 15.6 million.

The actions of the manager are qualified as abuse of office. This article provides for a sentence of three to six years in prison, with deprivation of the right to hold positions or engage in activities for up to three years and a fine of 500 to 1,000 tax-free minimum incomes. The CPR estimated that in 2026 this could amount to between UAH 832,000 and UAH 1.6 million.

Last October, the NABU completed the investigation into the director's case. In September, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine released Olga Makohoniuk on bail of one million hryvnias. A detective of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and a prosecutor of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested that Makohoniuk be arrested with an alternative to bail. However, the court refused and simply set bail for her.

The director was notified of the suspicion after the HACC approved a plea agreement in June for seven members of a criminal organization that controlled the activities of the Odesa City Council and received profits from businesses in the city. Businessmen Borys Kaufman and Alex Borukhovych pleaded guilty to seizing the airport and its revenues.

Анна Літман