Law enforcement officials have begun reviewing the cost estimate for the construction of a bridge across the Dniester River

The construction of a temporary bridge across the Dniester River in Mayaky has become the subject of a criminal investigation. Law enforcement officials are investigating whether the steel pipes used could have been passed off as new, which could have resulted in the budget overpaying by more than 30 million.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations. 

In June, the Infrastructure Restoration and Development Service in the Odesa region commissioned the construction of a prefabricated bridge across the Dniester River in Mayaky. The contract was valued at 209.586 million hryvnias, and Kyiv Bridge Construction Company LLC was selected as the contractor.

The main issues under investigation concern steel pipes with a diameter of 1,420 mm and a wall thickness of 16 mm. In the design and cost estimate documentation, they were listed as new and valued at 65,000 hryvnias per metric ton.

At the same time, law enforcement officials obtained information suggesting that pipes that had already been used might have been employed in the construction. According to the case file, one such pipe was previously purchased as scrap metal for 10 hryvnias per kilogram, after which it was cleaned, cut, and welded. The cost of refurbishment was approximately 23,000 hryvnias per metric ton.

Thus, the estimated cost of the refurbished pipe could have been about 33,000 hryvnias per metric ton—roughly half the price listed in the estimate. In total, about 983 metric tons of pipes were used for the bridge, and investigators estimated the potential overpricing at 31.4 million hryvnias.

In addition, law enforcement officials are investigating whether the construction work had the necessary environmental permits and approvals.

Also, at the Black Sea Seaport, an official was caught, along with a representative of a private company, demanding a half-million bribe from a businessman. In exchange for this money, they promised to help resolve the issue with officials from Ukrzaliznytsia. 

Анна Бальчінос