Millions in pockets: how corrupt officials in Mykolaiv region avoid punishment

In the Mykolaiv region, another corruption scandal results in sentences that are hardly fair. Known cases of bribery and embezzlement, which were accompanied by demonstrative detentions, are increasingly ending in fines, probation, or even acquittals.

This was reported by Nikcenter.

Former deputy head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration Mykola Romanchuk became a defendant in a high-profile case in 2016. Law enforcement officials accused him of extorting $90,000 for help in obtaining a permit to develop a limestone deposit. Romanchuk, in turn, claimed that the case was fabricated and called it revenge for his refusal to comply with the illegal demand of the military prosecutor's office.

The case lasted for more than five years in the courts, but instead of being sentenced to 8 to 12 years in prison, the former official was acquitted. The Central District Court returned Romanchuk 's bail, property, and luxury alcohol seized as evidence. The verdict is still being appealed, and new hearings are scheduled for January 2025.

In 2019, the NABU detained Andriy Maksymenko, head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Road Service, with a $90,000 bribe. According to the investigation, he demanded money from a contractor for work performed.

However, in 2022, Maksymenko pleaded guilty, entered into a plea deal with the investigation, and received three years of probation and a confiscation of 100 thousand hryvnias. The official used his mobilization to the Armed Forces as an argument for a lighter sentence, and his bail of more than a million hryvnias was returned to him.

The reconstruction of Soborna Square in Mykolaiv has become a symbol of corruption. In 2021, the NABU exposed an overestimation of the cost of the work by UAH 26.8 million. The suspects were Deputy Mayor Serhiy Korenev, Deputy Director of the Housing and Communal Services Department Oleksandr Bryzhaty, and Odesa City Council member Maryna Lozenko.

Despite the seriousness of the charges, court hearings are still ongoing. Meanwhile, Korenev remains in office, receiving a substantial salary and representing the city at international conferences. Brizhatyi continues to work at the utility company, and Lozenko acquired real estate and expensive vehicles after completing her contract work.

High-profile arrests of officials often go unpunished. Instead of the promised prison terms, the defendants in the cases receive symbolic fines or acquittals. The greatest hope remains in the case of Soborna Square, which has not yet been completed. However, if the defendants enter into a plea deal with the investigation, the outcome may be the same as in previous cases.

Recently, in Mykolaiv region, SBI and SBU officers exposed a corruption scheme organized by the management of the Sviatoslav Biloberezhzhzhya National Park. The park's director, his deputy and chief accountant forced 10 employees to pay 200% of their accrued bonuses every month, threatening to lay off or transfer those who refused.

And when the NACP checked the declarations, it turned out that 30% of officials had errors in their declarations, amounting to an average of 15 million hryvnias. Officials in Mykolaiv region also tried to hide their financial statements.

At the same time, since the beginning of the war, Ukrainian officials, MPs and law enforcement officers have purchased foreign real estate worth at least UAH 2 billion. Among them are members of Mykolaiv City Council and relatives of law enforcement officers.

Анна Бальчінос