Odesa denied request to cancel arrest of maritime college property for abuse

In Odesa, a judge refused to cancel the seizure of property seized during a search as part of a criminal investigation into abuse of power. Investigators continue to keep the documents and equipment of the educational institution for further investigation.

This is stated in the ruling of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa.

According to the ruling, the court received a petition from a lawyer on behalf of the Marines' Vocational College of the National University "Odesa Maritime Academy". The lawyer asked to cancel the seizure of the property of the educational institution imposed by a court order of January 12, 2026.

It turned out that the seizure concerned documents and equipment seized during a search on December 29, 2025, at the college premises as part of criminal proceedings on abuse of power or position. The seized items included reports and applications for vacations, employee lists with salary information, archival information, an ARTLINE monoblock, payment documents, personnel files, and job descriptions.

The college's lawyer argued that the seized property had already been examined by investigators, and that extending the arrest was an excessive interference with the institution's operations, as more than a month had passed since the seizure and there was no new evidence of the college's involvement in the offense.

The investigating judge of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa denied the motion. The ruling is final and not subject to appeal.

Also in Odesa, law enforcement officers are investigating a scheme to illegally enroll students of military age during martial law. According to the investigation, officials of higher education institutions may have received bribes to help young men avoid mobilization.

At the end of January, investigators conducted a search in one of the educational institutions, during which law enforcement officers seized items and documents, including: official documents, employment orders, time sheets, personal files and other materials that could confirm the fact of illegal enrollment of students.

Анна Бальчінос