Odesa official caught on bribe for trade by the sea

An official of one of Odesa's district administrations promised to influence his colleagues to obtain a permit for seafood trade. He was detained immediately after receiving the bribe.

This was reported by the press service of the National Police in Odesa region.

According to the investigation, an official of one of the district administrations of the Odesa City Council promised to influence his colleagues in exchange for $1500 to obtain a permit for trade by the sea. After receiving the money, law enforcement officers detained him.

The official's illegal actions were exposed and documented by the Strategic Investigations Department of the Odesa Region of the National Police and investigators of the Police Department No. 2 of the Odesa District Police Department No. 1.

During the investigation, it was established that the head of the department was approached by a local woman who was interested in the procedure for obtaining a permit for her mother's retail trade on the coast. The man said that he could resolve the issue by influencing officials and controlling bodies, but only after giving him $1500 in so-called "gratitude".

Law enforcement detained the official immediately after receiving the bribe in his car. To hide the money, he asked the woman to put it in a box of alcohol. The police seized the money and other evidence.

The court imposed a pre-trial restraint on the suspect in the form of detention with the possibility of bail, which he used.

Law enforcement officers gathered enough evidence and served the official with a notice of charges under Part 2 of Art. 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - obtaining an undue benefit for influencing an official's decision. Such actions are punishable by up to five years in prison. The indictment was submitted to the court.

The former acting director of a department of Odesa City Council is also suspected of blocking construction. The case has been referred to court, and the official faces up to five years in prison. In addition, he is involved in a case of extortion and bribery for issuing urban planning conditions for the reconstruction of the facade of a non-residential building.

Анна Бальчінос