In Odessa, a company director admitted to accepting bribes and helped expose an official at a health resort to the SBU

A court in Odessa dismissed the case against the director of a private company who had been paying bribes for several years to secure government contracts. After pleading guilty, he contacted law enforcement and helped expose the official who had been receiving kickbacks.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

The court heard the case of the director of LLC "Firma Elita," who was suspected of providing improper benefits to influence officials at the "Odessa" sanatorium of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) during the conclusion of contracts for the supply of goods and printing products.

According to the investigation, between 2022 and 2024, the businessman regularly transferred money to the sanatorium representative’s personal bank accounts. Law enforcement officials believe these funds were payments for assistance in ensuring the company was selected as the winner of procurement tenders and for the subsequent conclusion of contracts with the state institution.

Investigators documented several such incidents. In particular, in March 2022, the company’s director transferred approximately 10% of the value of three contracts for the manufacture of office equipment, forms, and journals. According to the case file, similar payments were made in subsequent years as well.

In total, according to the investigation, over the course of three years, the company’s director transferred approximately 13,000 hryvnias to the sanatorium official. In return, the official was supposed to influence decisions regarding the conclusion of contracts between the state institution and the private company totaling over 129,000 hryvnias.

During the trial, the prosecutor emphasized that the defendant had no prior convictions, had admitted his guilt, and had actively cooperated with the investigation. According to the investigation, it was he who voluntarily informed law enforcement about the corruption scheme and provided detailed testimony regarding the official who received the money.

The businessman confirmed the facts presented in court and did not dispute the evidence gathered during the pre-trial investigation.

The court took into account that the man had approached law enforcement on his own initiative even before information about his actions became known from other sources, and that he had helped identify the person who received the illegal payment.

As a result, the court granted the prosecution’s motion, acquitted the company director of criminal liability, and closed the case. At the same time, his testimony became part of the investigation into a corruption scheme linked to the activities of officials at the “Odessa” sanatorium of the SBU.

Also in the Odesa region, the director of a municipal enterprise and his deputy will stand trial, accused of extorting bribes from a businessman. According to the investigation, the officials demandedregular “kickbacks” in exchange for the opportunity to provide sewage treatment services.

Анна Бальчінос