Sept. 2, 2024, 4:21 p.m.
(Photo: National Police in Odesa region)
Odesa police detained one of the heads of the Odesa Housing and Maintenance Department on suspicion of extortion and receiving bribes from businessmen for leasing property of the Ministry of Defense.
This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa region.
According to Valentyna Horoshko, head of the department for investigating crimes in the field of economic and official activities of the investigation department of the Odesa District Police Department No. 1, police found that the head of one of the departments of the Odesa Apartment and Maintenance Department of the Logistics Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine met a businessman who planned to maintain cars and needed a place for this.
The seized money. Photo: National Police
The official offered the future businessman to quietly lease a 143.1-square-meter garage and a 60-square-meter technical site on the balance sheet of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The official promised to ensure a quick tender without competitors and victory in it, and further unimpeded business activities. For his services, he asked for $300 and monthly kickbacks of $200.
The police documented how the suspect, having fulfilled the promise, received "gratitude" from the man in two tranches of $900, taking into account three months of further "cooperation". After that, the dealer was detained and the money and other items of interest to the investigation were seized from him.
If the serviceman's guilt is proven, he faces imprisonment for up to ten years with disqualification to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years, with confiscation of property. The court imposed on the suspect a custodial measure of restraint with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 605.6 thousand.