Odesa Mayor and 10 Officials Face Court for ₴689M Corruption Scheme

The NABU and the SAPO have brought to court the case of a criminal organization that caused the Odesa community to lose UAH 689 million. The 11 defendants include the current mayor of Odesa, city council officials, the head of an enterprise and other participants.

This was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, the criminal organization developed a plan to illegally seize budget funds and community land. As a result of its actions, from 2016 to 2019, the community lost at least six land plots with a total area of 15.9 hectares and UAH 131 million, which Odesa City Hall officials illegally overpaid when buying non-residential real estate on the site, which was allegedly planned to be used to expand the cemetery. The total amount of damage caused by the examination is UAH 689 million.

The participants used so-called "conceptual contracts," through which developers paid money directly to the organization, not to the community. City council officials provided the "necessary" decisions for the transfer of land for almost free.

The criminal group carefully observed security measures: they used secure communications, held meetings in rooms with special equipment, and tested new members with a polygraph to avoid law enforcement penetration.

To make the necessary decisions, some participants in the criminal scheme received apartments in new buildings.

The NABU did not name any names, but Intent reported that it was Odesa businessman Volodymyr Halternyk, who is hiding from the investigation abroad. The other defendants include Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, his former deputies Oleh Bryndak and Petro Ryabokon, former city council member Vasyl Shkryabai, director of the legal department Inna Popovska, founder of Budova Dmytro Dimarsky, and others.

Ірина Глухова