In Odesa, a company under investigation was found to have inflated prices for shelter repairs

In Odesa, the shelter on Sehedska Street was repaired for more than UAH 9.5 million - but some of the costs raise serious questions. Despite the fact that the facility is ready for use, journalists have discovered possible overpayments and strange discrepancies between the estimate and reality.

This was reported by Anti-Corruption Dimension.

In Odesa, the shelter at 16 Sehedska Street was renovated under two contracts with the company Vidbudova Pivden for more than UAH 9.5 million. Initially, the utility company Service Center signed an agreement for UAH 6.8 million based on the results of a tender, and later allocated an additional UAH 2.7 million for related work. At the same time, journalists noted that in the second estimate, prices for certain materials may exceed market prices.

Until 2022, the shelter was on the balance sheet of the Fontansky housing and communal services company, but later it was transferred to the Service Center utility company, which decided to carry out repairs. The project was prepared by Odesgradzhyzhdanproekt, a company owned by the family of the former MP, and technical supervision was carried out by an entrepreneur who had previously been accused of negligence.

The contract was awarded to Vidbudova Pivden, although its initial proposal did not meet the tender requirements - the company provided incomplete data on employees and unreadable documents on experience. After the deficiencies were corrected, the contract was signed with the company at almost the expected cost, as there were no other bidders.

The repairs were supposed to be completed by the end of 2025, but the deadline was postponed several times, extending the work to April 2026. Separately, in 2026, another contract for additional work was signed without using the Prozorro system.

An analysis of the estimate showed possible overpayments: in particular, asbestos cord, primer and paint were included at prices significantly higher than market prices. Significant costs were also foreseen for beds, although the journalists did not find them during the inspection of the shelter - the room is equipped mainly with chairs and small benches.

Nevertheless, the shelter looks generally repaired and suitable for use - it is clean, well-stocked and operates during air raids.

The company Vidbudova Pivden, established in 2023, has received contracts for more than 60 million, most of which are from the Service Center. At the same time, law enforcement officers are investigating possible violations during another shelter repair performed by the same company.

Also in Odesa region, overpayments for materials and labor were found during the construction of a shelter for schoolchildren. It turned out that some items were overpriced by almost two times.

Анна Бальчінос