In the Odesa region, a court punished a village head who overpaid for benches to be used as shelters

The former chairwoman of the Velykomykhailivka Village Council inflated the purchase price of benches for shelters by a factor of two and caused losses to the budget totaling more than 136,000 hryvnias—the court found the woman guilty of abuse of office.

This is stated in the verdict of the Rozdilnyanskyi District Court of the Odesa Region.

In December 2022, the village council purchased 80 wooden benches to equip protective shelters. They paid 2,900 hryvnias for each bench, while experts determined its market value to be 1,196 hryvnias. As a result, according to the court’s findings, the purchase price was inflated by 136,320 hryvnias.

The court concluded that the former town mayor, who was responsible for managing budget funds, abused her official position contrary to the interests of the public service.

In particular, the court took into account the absence of a documented price comparison for similar goods prior to the conclusion of the contract, a price more than twice as high as the market price established by experts, and the fact that she personally signed both the contract and the payment document.

According to the court’s findings, the sole proprietor who supplied the benches received an unlawful benefit in the amount of 136,320 hryvnias. The court also found it proven that significant harm had been caused to the public interest in that amount.

The defendant herself did not admit guilt. She explained that the purchase was necessary due to the war and the urgent need to set up shelters.

According to her, the price included delivery, fuel, drivers’ wages, and the costs of loading, unloading, and assembling the furniture. She also pointed out that the community actually had a limited choice of suppliers.

The defense requested that the woman be acquitted, arguing that her guilt had not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the court rejected these arguments and found her guilty under Part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The court sentenced her to two years of probation, barred her from holding positions involving organizational, managerial, administrative, or economic functions for two years, and imposed a fine of 5,100 hryvnias.

In addition, the court granted the civil claim and ordered the former official to pay 136,320 hryvnias in compensation for property damage. Separately, she is to be ordered to pay 27,064.44 hryvnias in expenses for expert examinations.

Ірина Глухова