In the port of Odesa, a company suspected of embezzlement may be awarded the same contract

A company that was previously accused of embezzling funds during a previous reconstruction of the same facility may be awarded the contract for the reconstruction of a berth in the Odesa seaport worth more than half a billion. Despite the existence of criminal proceedings, this company was the only one to submit a tender proposal.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations with reference to Prozorro data.

In August, the Odesa branch of the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority" announced an open tender for the reconstruction of berth 7. The works were to be completed by the end of 2027. Due to the constant shelling of the port, it was decided to return to the pre-war reconstruction project.

SCREENSHOT: Prozorro

The first tender, which was supposed to end on September 9, was canceled due to lack of applications. The problem for potential bidders was the restrictions on confirming experience in the ports that are currently temporarily occupied (Kerch, Berdiansk, Mariupol, Yevpatoria, Feodosia). An additional requirement to have a CC3 consequence class further narrowed the range of participants. The USPA explained that these conditions were needed to confirm the technical capability of the companies.

A second tender was announced on September 30, and this time only ChMP Repair and Construction Trust LLC submitted a proposal. The contract amount was only 4 million lower than expected.

According to YouControl, a monitoring service, the company has been registered in Odesa since 2001 with an authorized capital of over UAH 833,000. The founder is Bohdan Oliynyk. ChMP Repair and Construction Trust LLC has previously carried out work at berth 7: in 2017-2020, the first launch complex with a length of 163 meters, and in 2020-2022, part of the second with a length of 223 meters. In 2024, the project was adjusted for the second time. Currently, it remains to complete the second launch complex and implement the third, which includes dredging the approaches to the berth.

The company has been participating in public procurement since 2010 and has earned over UAH 896 million in total. The largest profit was in 2017 - over UAH 787 million, part of which was earned during the reconstruction of berth 7. In total, the company took part in four procurements, with Delta-Lotsman branch, State Enterprise Derzeokoinvest, and USPA as customers.

SCREENSHOT: YouControl

As for criminal proceedings, in 2023, the company was mentioned in a case of misappropriation of public funds during the reconstruction of berth 7 under a contract of 2017. According to the investigation, the company's officials entered into contracts with companies with signs of fictitiousness. The court granted a search warrant for the former director's car to search for documents on subcontractors and the movement of material assets.

Also, a UAH 24 million tender for the overhaul of Odesa port roads may go to a company with a dubious reputation. The company has repeatedly been involved in journalistic investigations and court cases.

Анна Бальчінос