Mykolaiv launches investigation into embezzlement at water supply system by Odesa contractor

The court ordered Mykolaiv Oblast police to launch an investigation into possible price gouging during the reconstruction of a water supply system. According to the NGO, a contractor from Odesa may have overcharged for materials.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

The court upheld the complaint of the organization "Platform Public Control" and ordered the Main Department of the National Police of Ukraine in Mykolaiv region to enter information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (URPI) and start checking the possible misappropriation of budget funds.

According to the investigation, on October 30, 2025, a representative of the organization filed a statement in which he reported that during the reconstruction of the water supply system on Sadova and Naberezhna streets, officials of OdesaSpetsenergo LLC overstated the prices of materials, causing damage to the budget. Due to the action of the police, the organization appealed to the court, which recognized the actions of law enforcement officers as unlawful and ordered to register the application with the URPTI.

The court ruling states that the inspection should be conducted as part of a pre-trial investigation and may contain signs of a criminal offense under Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - misappropriation of another's property by abuse of office. The information must be entered into the register within 24 hours after the application is submitted, and the verification will be carried out by investigators. The decision also clarified that the ruling is not subject to appeal.

The Mykolaiv region is undergoing large-scale work to restore water supply and strengthen the region's defense capabilities. However, a significant portion of the contracts are being distributed without open tenders, and the contractors include companies that have previously been involved in criminal proceedings for embezzlement of budget funds. In total, 1,696 contracts worth UAH 8.5 billion were concluded in the region. The main focus is on the construction of a water intake from the Southern Bug River and a new water supply system for Mykolaiv.

In December 2024, the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration signed an agreement for the reconstruction of a 600 mm water pipeline along Heroiv Ukrayiny Avenue and Parusny Lane - from the culvert to Flotska Street. The tender received only one bid, from Odesaspetsenergo LLC, which was awarded the contract for UAH 33 million.

Earlier, in October 2024, the head of the organization "Platform Public Control" filed a statement about possible overpricing of the reconstruction of the water supply system on Flotska Street - from Parusnyi Lane to A. Sheptytskoho Street. However, law enforcement officers recognized that the circumstances in the application were not sufficient to verify corruption, so the case was not initiated and the court complaint was not satisfied.

In early December 2024, the Commercial Court of Mykolaiv Oblast invalidated three more contracts between the Department of Urban Development of Mykolaiv Regional State Administration and OdesaSpetsenergo LLC for the reconstruction of the main water supply system. The total amount of these agreements exceeds UAH 128 million. The court found that the company's proposals did not meet the requirements of the tender documents.

Анна Бальчінос