Odesa Mayor Dismisses Land Resources Director Amid Bribery Scandal

Odesa Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov has dismissed Nadiya Novikova, Director of the Land Resources Department of the Odesa City Council.

The relevant order was published by the municipality's press service.

According to the order, this happened because she was transferred to the position of acting director of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of the Odesa City Council.

Instead, the first deputy director of the Department of Land Resources , Viktoriia Seriogina , was appointed to head the Department of Land Resources.

In December 2023, Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov signed a number of orders dismissing and appointing heads of departments of the Odesa City Council. It was then that he ordered to entrust Nadiya Novikova, the first deputy director of the Department of Land Resources, with the duties of the Director of the Department. Temporarily for the period of suspension of its head.

As for the Department of Architecture, which is now headed by Nadiia Novikova, the previous head, Marat Kasimov, was removed from office by Gennadiy Trukhanov on the basis of a ruling by an investigating judge. In early March, Marat Kasimov, acting director of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, was detained in a cafe on Yevropeiska Street while receiving a bribe of two thousand dollars. The investigation found that in June 2024, a representative of the owner of a non-residential building applied to the department for permission to arrange a front entrance to the basement offices. After an unreasonable refusal, Marat Kasimov demanded money to remove obstacles to the issuance of urban planning conditions.

During searches of his office, law enforcement officers found items and documents that are now under arrest. Marat Kasimov was served a notice of suspicion of bribery by an official. If proven guilty, the official faces imprisonment for eight to twelve years.

Кирило Бойко