Mykolaiv Official Sentenced for Embezzlement - Inflated Vehicle Purchases Cost ₴ 1.58M

A city council official was tried in Mykolaiv region for purchasing vehicles at inflated prices. The court sentenced her to a fine and a suspended prison term for embezzlement of budget funds.

This was reported by Anti-Corruption Dimension with reference to the court verdict.

The court sentenced Olha Berehova, a procurement specialist at the Pivdenne City Council, who purchased a tractor without a public procurement procedure and without assessing the real value of the vehicle, which led to an overpayment.

In December 2022, without using the public procurement system, she entered into an agreement with the supplier, TORGOVYI DOM-ARBOLIT LLC, to purchase a DAF truck for UAH 1.58 million.

However, it turned out that the seller was not the owner of the transport call, and the ownership of the tractor belonged to another person who was not related to the company. Nevertheless, the tractor was transferred to the city council, and a payment was made from the budget.

As a result, Olga Berehova was accused of negligence. During the trial, the accused and the investigation entered into a plea agreement.

The court sentenced her to 2 years in prison with a one-year disqualification to hold office and a fine of UAH 5100. At the same time, she was released from prison with a probationary period of two years.

The Mykolaiv court also canceled the contract for the purchase of a telescopic loader that did not meet the established requirements and ordered the return of the money spent. A municipal enterprise in Bashtanka district paid almost UAH 1.5 million for equipment of inadequate quality.

Recently, the Education Department of the Pervomaisk City Council signed a contract for the supply of cheese to educational institutions for 2025 without holding an open tender. The total amount of the contract is UAH 5.1 million, although the cost of the products is much higher than market prices.

Анна Бальчінос